CO129-570-5 Sino-Japanese War- British casualties following the Japanese attack on the borders of the New Territories... 30-11-1938 - 16-3-1939 — Page 2

SINO - JAPANESE

CUTTING

1. You

Gov.

Tel 350

2

30/ic/38

Following casualties occured in British territory 26/1/38. British Subjects - 1 killed, 4 wounded. Chinese Subjects I killed, 6 wounded. Requests advice as to action.

3 mt it que he dcenitely

me

in A. I a

Bakili Tembon

T

here

The line taken an the question of claims

arising out of the present hostilities in China is set out in the memo enclosed at 1 on 53838/16/37.

seems forschle

Utawalay samanimchinedut that the

X

may

damage reported in this telegram comes under the

third category of claims, i.e. claims for which a

belligerent would not be responsible if they had

occurred in the course of a war, such as damage

caused by ordinary shell fire. On the other hand,

the fact that this damage occurred in British

territory, and not merely to British property in

Chinese territory, presumably gives us strong

ground for claiming compensation, and I suggest

that we should ask the F.0. to do so.

? Send copy of 1 to F.0. saying that the

S.of S. would suggest, if they see no objection,

that the Governor of Hong Kong should be instructed

to prepare a claim for compensation from the

Japanese Govt. in respect of the damage done by

Japanese gun fire or rifle fire, and that H.M•

Ambassador at Tokyo should present this to the

Japanese Govt. at the earliest possible date, And

copy telegram and letter to Service Depts. and

B. of T. lff.

486. Mant.

2

P. RogeD

2.12.38.

In the absence of further information regarding the facts of this case, I hesitate to