CO129-570-11 Sino-Japanese War- Japanese attack on Chinese Maritime Customs cruiser- CHAHSING 19-1-1938 - 23-3-1938 — Page 34

waters under her own steam and flying the

Japanese flag: although she may not have been

in tow, she must presumably have been towed off

the beach to get under way at all. From the

evidence at our disposal, selected pessages from

which you might, at your discretion, communicate

to the Japanese Government, His Majesty's

Government remain in no doubt that Japenese

sailors did in fact land on Hong Kong

territory and there is good ground for thinking

that they made off with a number of chickens.

Finally it is a matter for serious regret that

the Japanese appear from their failure to refer

to the point to be unwilling to inform their

naval authorities of their declared policy in

regard to the integrity of the customs

administration. The sincerity of their

previous assurances in that respect therefore

remains in doubt.

34 END