CO129-563-18 Sino-Japanese War- stopping of British shipping by Japanese 11-9-1937 - 29-12-1937 — Page 47

Copy.

SECRET.

MESSAGE.

From C. in C. China.

FOREIGN OFFICE CYPHER K.

IN.

DATE

7.11.37.

RECD.

• ·

1543.

85

48

Addressed Admiralty repeated Diplomatic Mission Nanking

No. 110, Commodore, Hong Kong, No. 713 for

Tokyo No. 77, R.A. Yangtse, No. 984.

410. Reference Tokyo message 628 to Foreign Office

and other reports of possible hardening attitude of Japanese,

following appreciation is submitted.

Further

(a) It is not evident that any strengthening of blockade

can take place without a declaration of war on China.

measures of interference with British ships without this

declaration would be without established precedent.

(b) Declaration of war may be with two objects: 1. To

strengthen the blockade. 2. To satisfy Japanese public

opinion by further removing foreign influence and interference

with conduct of war.

(c) To achieve para. (b) 2

-

foreign powers would be

requested to remove ships and troops from China. In this

connection see Admiralty messages 810 of 8th October, 1936,

and 856 of 23rd October, 1936, to 0. in C.

(a) On the other hand para. (b)l could be achieved without

measures in para. (c) in which case action would be tantamount

to acknowledging our special position at Shanghai Tientsin,

Amoy and Canton and possibly other treaty ports and Wei Hai

Wei in spite of war. I think this would be the most likely

course.

(e)