CO129-571-4 Sino-Japanese War- compensation for damage to British rolling stock on Canton-Kowloon Railway by Japanese air... 7-1-1938 - 9-12-1938 — Page 18

In any further communication

on this subject, please quote

No. F 10830/4880/10

and address-—

not to any person by name

but to

The Under-Secretary of State,"

Foreign Office,

London, S.W.1.

geef

RECEIVED

sir,

22 JAN 1938

C.O.IX

FOREIGN OFFICE.

S.W.1.

20th January, 1938.

2.

18

NO?!

With reference to your letter No. 53838/16/37,

Confidential, of the 11th December, regarding the

desirability of presenting a claim to the Japanese

Government for compensation for damage done to British rolling-stock on the Canton-Kowloon Railway by Japanese air attacks, I am directed by Mr. Secretary Eden to state that as lines of communication in themselves are regarded as a legitimate military objective, and as the train was standing at a station at which a Chinese military guard were posted, it would be difficult to argue that the bombs and machine guns were not aimed at a legitimate military objective, the damage to the rolling-stock being incidental.

Mr. Eden is

advised, therefore, that the claim is insufficiently strong for

presentation.

The Under-Secretary of State,

Colonial office.

I am,

sir,

Your obedient Servant,

NB Donald