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returned to the Foreign Office if not required for official use.]
AMENDED COPY.*
TO CHINA.
Cypher telegram to ir. Howe, (Shanghai).
Foreign Office, 19th January, 1938,
No. 70.
0:0:0:0
10.30 p..
233
Confidential.
Chinese Ambassador informed me on the 17th January in
strictest confidence that the real mission of Dr. Sun Fo whom
he had seen at Amsterdam was to loscow in connexion with Soviet
help to China. Russia was now giving a very considerable
measure of help to China both in personnel and in material 300
aeroplanes had recently been supplied. Comications had also
been improved. Aerodrone at Lanchow had been reconstructed
to allow landing of heavy bombers. ir. Quo was convinced how-
ever that the Soviet Governmont feared to play too prominent a
rôle in aiding Jhina and were anxious for an expression of
approval of their attitude from His Majesty's dovernment and
United States Government. I said I did not quite understand
what exactly the Soviet Government wanted. I thought it
unlikely that the United States doverment would be prepared to
join us in undertaking to share with the Soviet Government the consequences of any additional help they might give to China.
The Ambassador also said in this connexion that in his opinion
risks of Russia being involved in war had been increased by
victory of Army over Navy in Tokyo.
2. Hr. quo admitted that too many men had been thrown into
the fighting at Shanghai, leading to enormous casualties and
failure to hold the defensive position between there and Banking.
Chinese
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