CO129-567-5 Traffic of arms to China and Japanese air-raids on Kowloon-Canton railway 11-4-1938 - 19-1-1939 — Page 240

Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government, and should be returned

to the Foreign Office if not required for official use.]

From JAPAN.

Decode.

Sir R. Craigie (Tokyo).

9th June, 1958.

D.

7.40 a.m.

9th June, 1938.

R.

9.30 a.m.

9th June, 1938.

No. 701. (R).

후

•

241

My telegram No. 700.

After we had finished our discussion on Canton, Minister for

Foreign Affairs said he desired to speak to me in regard to

Hongkong, not as a Minister for Foreign Affairs to an Ambassador but as a Japanese speaking to British friend. Hongkong had of

course for some time been the main source of supply of ammunition

for Chiang Kai-shek Government. Information had now reached him

that leading Chinese politicians and officials had been making use

of Hongkong as a base for anti-Japanese propaganda and other anti- Japanese activitięs. The Japanese Government were making further

enquiry into this matter and he would probably wish to speak to

me officially about it before long. Monwhile these reports were

again arousing public sentiment in this country against Great

Britain - a fact which he deplored in view of great improvement

which had occurred in recent months. For the moment he only

wished to direct my careful attention to this matter.

In reply I outlined to His Excellency the difficulty task

which Government of Hongkong had been fulfilling with conspicuous

success and high degree of impartiality which they had displayed. I was quite sure that Governor would be strongly opposed to any

activities constituting an abuse of British hospitality during present emergency and I knew on one [? occasion omtd.] shortly after Japanese victory at Shanghai the longkong Government had refused sanction in Hongkong of Chinese agencies considered

susceptible

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