CO129-567-5 Traffic of arms to China and Japanese air-raids on Kowloon-Canton railway 11-4-1938 - 19-1-1939 — Page 241

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susceptible of serving an un-neutral purpose. Any justifiable

source of complaint by Japanese authorities would I knew be

considered on its merits particularly if it were put forward in

the same friendly way as His Excellency's present approach to

myself. We could not be expected to stop prominent Chinese

personalities from visiting Hongkong from time to time any more

than we would put such restrictions on Japanese authorities but

definite subversive activities or activities constituting un-

neutral action would I thought be another matter.

On the question of arms supplied I thought it was easy to exaggerate proportion of China's total of arms supply which was

passing through Hongkong. Confidentially I could add according

to my latest figures some sixty per cent of that total still came

from Germany whereas British contribution was less than one-half

of one per cent. At the same time I reminded His Excellency

that supply of arms by any country to either side was a perfectly

legitimate object and that to close Hongkong to passage of arms

would constitute a definite breach of neutrality towards China.

Minister for Foreign Affairs thanked me for my reception of

his communication which had convinced him of our desire to observe

a strictly neutral attitude in these matters.

Addressed to Foreign Office No. 701; repeated to Sir A.

Clark-Kerr.