CO129-571-9 Sino-Japanese War- Canton-Kowloon railway 25-3-1938 - 28-2-1939 — Page 115

defence interests of Hong Kong if any risk were taken

of the paralysis of the port by labour trouble, pro-

vided that, on the other hand, we gave no unnecessary

provocation to Japan refusing railway facilities

to their forces.

It was agreed that a telegram to the

Governor should be drafted, for the concurrence of the

F.0. and Service Departments, to say that if he were

satisfied that a paralysis of the port and railway

by strike action would follow any attempt to rail to

the Japanese forces consignments of war material,

or even of food supplies, H.M. G. is ready to agree

that such a situation would be contrary to the

defence interests of Hong Kong, and that if the

Japanese were to demand such railway facilities they

should be refused; moreover, H.M.G. would be prepared

to support such refusal in case of war material on

the ground that it complied with the proper obliga-

tions of a neutral territory; and that, finally, it

would accord with political feeling in this country

as well as with the League of Nations policy that

such facilities should not be accorded to Japan in

their present campaign against China.

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