CO129-563-18 Sino-Japanese War- stopping of British shipping by Japanese 11-9-1937 - 29-12-1937 — Page 82

83

2.

flags (e.g. run-runners) it has usually been found that all

their papers, and not only their certificates of registry,

have been forged. Moreover, other documents such as lo and

Articles of Agreement are not uniform, and Japanese officers

who were familiar with one particular pattern might create difficulties if confronted with another (though equally regular).

5. You may inform the Japanese Government that there is no

objection to inspecting officers bein sent in pairs, accompanied

by an interpreter, if required.

6. As regards transfers of ships from Chinese to British

registry since the 25th August, it is impossible to acceded to

the Japanese Government's request. You may, however, give then

the following information informally and unofficially. It would

not be possible to ascertain what transfers, if any, may have

take place between the 25th August last and the 2nd September,

the date on which instructions were issued that all applications

for transfer should be referred to London. Since then, however,

no transfers have taken place.

7. I presume that the Ministry of Marine are now conversan:.

with the conditions on which His Majesty's Government have

indicated that they are prepared to allow British ships to be

boarded and that they have issued instructions accortlingly (see

paragraph 2 of your telegram No. 456).

8. Finally, there is one general point of great importance.

which does not appear to have been adequately appreciated by the Japanese Government. As stated in ny telegram No. 297, para- graph 1 (b), permission to board a British ship is only accorded

if there is genuine reason to suspect that the vessel is not

entitled to fly the flag. In future, His Majesty's Government

must..