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house on the beach was hit by splinters. A Japanese naval
party landed without any permit from the authorities of the
Colony and took a number of chickens from local houses.
In a note protesting against these actions by the crew of the Japanese ship His Majesty's Ambassador pointed out the illegality of an attack on a vessel in British territorial waters, of the removal of the vessel from the place in British territorial waters where she had been beached, and of the subsequent landing of Japanese forces in British territory. ir kobert Craigie requested an assurance that instructions had been issued to ensure that the territory and territorial waters of Hongkong were
fully respected, and also asked for information as to the
nature of the disciplinary action which had been taken
against the Japanese responsible for the incident.
The Japanese Government replied in a note dated
the 12th January 1958, that the Japanese destroyer, which was
lying at anchor one and a half nautical miles west of South-
weat Point, sighted what she took to be a Chinese gunboat
about three nautical miles in e southerly direction and sig-
nalled her to stop. The latter vessel put on speed and the
destroyer gave chase, firing for a short while. Though the
firing took place outside British territorial waters, some
of the shells fell within those waters. ince the crew
abandoned the Chinese vessel, the destroyer drew alongside
to ascertain the facts and only then discovered that she was
a Customs vessel. The destroyer then moved off, leaving the
Customs vessel where she was and not taking her in tow.
The Japanese note maintained that it was scarcely
credible to the Japanese Government that men of the Japanese
Navy would have landed without permission, and that no sailor
did land in the neighbourhood at the time. On the other hand it was regretted that shells landed in British territorial waters and that British territorial waters were entered with-
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