NO DISTRIBUTION.
Decypher.
Mr. Blunt (Canton).
D. By wireless
15th December, 1938.
15th December, 1938.
R2
1.30 p.m.
15th December, 1938.
No. 161.
12
IMPORTANT
(3)
Addressed to Governor Hongkong No. 229.
Your telegram No. 53.
1.
As usual branch of head Chinese Post Office Canton. 2. A
Head Chinese Post Office Canton is compelled to follow Japanese
instructions. B. All mails, as always, pass in or out through
head Chinese Post Office Canton. 3. This seems to me tantamount
to opening British Post Office.
2, I consider such action most inadvisable as yet on Shameen.
I told Japanese Consul-General we might do this when he replied
that it would be breach on our part of Washington Treaty which
would delight Japan. I feel sure too that they would only "censor"
(i.e. hold up) mails to British subjects elsewhere in occupied
territory as a reprisal. My United States colleague and I decided
not even to protest against this childish diversion of mails but to
watch events. Action taken by Japanese was reprisal for Hongkong's stiffness about naval transports.
3. I will of course arrange delivery of any letters sent by
naval bag to this Consulate-General for my career colleagues but
the slightest publicity will irritate Japanese and postpone what
we in Shameen want more than yourselves, i.e. return to normal
mail facilities.
Pepeated to British Embassy Shanghai No. 316, Tokyo No. 82
and Foreign Office No. 161.
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