CO129-567-5 Traffic of arms to China and Japanese air-raids on Kowloon-Canton railway 11-4-1938 - 19-1-1939 — Page 186

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187

Decode and Decypher.

Mr. Blunt (Canton),

25th July, 1938.

D.

W/T

27th July, 1938.

R.

9.30 a.m.

27th July, 1938.

No. 74.

R Begins.

Addressed to Embassy Offices Shanghai No. 154 of

June [sic] 25th.

Your telegram No. 613 addressed to Mission.

As regards Canton-Kowloon Railway facts are that

(1) daily express never has freight waggon attached nor carries troops, (2) slow passenger trains have freight cars but carry no military supplies or individuals, (3) bi-weekly through passenger express from Hongkong to Hankow has only two waggons for baggage and parcels and leaves Hongkong as a complete train,

2. As regards Canton-Hongkong Railway [grp. undec.] assurance by British adviser to railway that munitions are never carried in passenger trains and that covered freight waggons were attached to front of daily passenger trains between Canton and Hankow but contain only the same contents as at (3) in above paragraph.

3. I understand that statement in above sense is being published jointly by railways concerned in Hongkong press today.

R Ends.

4.

Japanese statement seems to be without truth and designed to revive question of controlling foreign passengers and bombing passenger trains (c.f. Tokyo telegram No. 82, January 21st, addressed to Foreign Office).

Repeated to Foreign Office No. 74, Tokyo No. [grp. undec.], Mission Hankow No. [grp. undec.], Commander-in-Chief No. 65, Governor Hongkong No. [grp. undec.].