CO129-567-4 Traffic of arms to China and Japanese air-raids on Kowloon-Canton railway 3-1-1938 - 3-5-1938 — Page 249

[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.]

257

FROM JAPAN

Decode.

Sir R. Craigie (Tokyo).

8th January 1938.

D.

10.20 p.m. 8th January 1938.

R. 6.00 0.m.

No. 25. (R).

8th January 1938.

IMMEDIATE,

I have just received semi-official letter from Vice Minister

for Foreign affairs. Begins: As Chinese are at present trans- porting large quantities of war materials overland from Hongkong

towards Canton, the Imperial forces desire for reasons of

strategical necessity to carry out bonbardment of Chinese line of

communication in neighbourhood of Tungkuan in Eastern Canton province. The Imperial Govemment are anxious to do all in their power to prevent the occurrence of unfortunate incidents such as

might cause loss to life or property of British subjects if

British motor cars became involved in this bombardment and I

should therefore be grateful if Your Excellency would be so good as to arrange that British motor cars should not for the time being pass through the district in question. If owing to un- avoidable circumstances they are obliged to pass through the district, I should be glad if adequate notice of the fact could

be given in advance. Ends.

Addressed to Foreign Office, repeated to embassy, Shanghai, Hongkong (for Commander-in-Chief as telegram No. 5).