CO129-563-17 Sino-Japanese War- attacks on shipping. For extracted photographs see CN 3-12 27-9-1937 - 17-1-1938 — Page 150

[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government, and should be

returned to the Foreign Office if not required for official use.]

163

(F.10452/4880/10.)

To JAPAN.

Code telegram to Sir R. Craigie (Tokyo).

Foreign Office. 8th December, 1957.

No. 550.

(R).

+ •

• •

• *

•

•

•

·

•

5.00 p.me

Your telegram No. 759 [Bombing of Asiatic Petroleum

Company's oil-barge].

Japanese reply amounts to saying that Japanese aircraft will only comply with the rules of war if the circumstances are favourable. This is a totally inadmissible attitude

which calls for the strongest protest.

In no circumstances

are they entitled to disregard international law and if circumstances prevent them from verifying the status of any object which they contemplate attacking the only course

open to them is to abstain from an attack.

To attack with-

out verification is both illegal and inhuman. His Majesty's Government cannot believe that such a course is not

An assurance that prohibited by the Japanese Government. every care will be taken to prevent such incidents in the future is meaningless unless such attacks are prohibited.

You should make further emphatic representations on the

above lines.

Page 150Page 151