CO129-570-11 Sino-Japanese War- Japanese attack on Chinese Maritime Customs cruiser- CHAHSING 19-1-1938 - 23-3-1938 — Page 20

COLY.

DRAFT CONFIDENTIAL.

11th January, 1938.

20

C

Dear Mr. Forbes,

I have received your confidential letter of 6th

instant relating to your recent interview with the Governor

in connexion with the movement of Chinese Customs vessels

in Hongkong waters, and the Governor's friendly attitude to-

wards the Customs is much appreciated. I am unable, however,

to share the view that our preventive vessels should continue

to exercise normal activities during the present abnormal

· political conditions and, as Admiral Little correctly sur-

mises, thus provoke possibly unnecessary incidents which

might embarrass the Colonial Authorities and would unquestion-

ably embarrass the Customs Administration. Moreover there

are other considerations at stake, and our fixed policy is

that Customs preventive work afloat shall be entirely aban-

doned for the time being in order to avoid complications with

hostile forces apart altogether from third party risks.

In brief from our point of view the issue embraces more than

the local question of Hongkong since it is connected with the

major one of the maintenance of the integrity of the Customs

Service, with which all countries having trade with China are

deeply concerned. I may add that I do not consider that the

temporary abandonment of our established right to use Hongkong

waters is implied by our provisional action in laying up our

ships in the harbour when the same policy is adopted elsewhere

on the coast.

Finally the utility of the sea preventive measures

which could be taken by us in the Kowloon district at present

is comparatively negligible and, as I have already intimated,

not commensurate with the risks involved.

Yours truly,

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