CO129-573-2 Export of torpedo boats to China 14-5-1938 - 5-10-1938 — Page 39

V.A.

Copy.

(F 6729/6729/10).

(Myloppe)

FOREIGN OFFICE, S.W.1.

13th July, 1938.

21

39

i

Dear Gent,

10

We have been considering carefully your

letter No. 53909/38 of the 18th June, in which you

suggested that there may be a certain lack of definition

in the policy of His Majesty's Government towards the

present hostilities in China, particularly as

affecting Hong Kong and the conduct of the Colonial

Government.

2. I will not go into the details of the

instances which you gave in your letter because I

think the slight changes of attitude which they show

will become understandable in the light of the general

policy which we are trying to follow.

3

Generally speaking, the policy of His

Majesty's Government is to give as much assistance to

China as may be compatible with the safety of the

Empire as a whole, including Hong Kong, and the

avoidance of actual hostilities, with the Japanese.

Hong Kong, by virtue of its proximity to the war zone,

has sometimes to observe greater caution in its

attitude towards the Japanese than say, Australia or

India. That is one consideration, the geographical

situation of Hong Kong. There is, however, another,

the political situation of other parts of the Empire

at

G. E. J. GENT, ESQ., D. S. O., 0.B.E.