CO129-563-16 Sino-Japanese War- attacks on shipping 6-9-1937 - 13-11-1937 — Page 53

F 7856/130/10

Code telegram to Sir R. Craigie (Tokyo)

Foreign Office.

No. 408 (R)

NO DISTRIBUTION

18th October, 1937.

4.30 p.m.

53

COOCOBOCOQ

Your telegram to Hong Kong No. 27 of the 5th October; non-interference with Chinese junks discharging British vessels].

Reference to circumstances when "unloading is not

legitimate" is not understood. If Japanese Government mean to imply that unloading by Chinese junks of troops or armament stores carried in British ships is not regarded as legitimate,

assurance appears to have no special value, since junks would then be in the same position as other Chinese vessels (see your telegram No. 321.) Moreover, Japanese Government have further

stated that they would not interfere in any way with neutral

ships, even if known to be carrying munitions. And prevention of discharge into Chinese junks at those ports where ships normally have to be unloaded off-shore would constitute

interference.

2. No justification is seen for the threat to stop

Chinese junks engaged in the discharge of cargo from British

vessels, if after entering one port, they proceed to another;

it is apparently not limited to cases where the unloading is

considered to be "not legitimate." Provided that it has hitherto

been the normal practice for junks or lighters carrying to land

cargo from ocean-going ships to discharge this cargo in more than one port and that such cargo is normally accompanied by

documents sufficient to identify it in the event of examination by Japanese OII.cers, Japanese Government might be approached on this point. His Majesty's Chargé d'Affaires at Nanking will no

୨

doubt