NO DISTRIBUTION.
Decypher.
Sir R. Craigie, (Tokyo).
1st April, 1939.
D.
5.35 p.m.
1st April, 1939.
R.
11.30 a.m.
1st April, 1939.
No. 319.
126
0:0:0:0:0
Addressed to Governor Hongkong No. 57.
? Your despatch No. 18 of March 1st.
When I address note to Japanese Government protesting against attacks on junks they will probably reply that junks were engaged in smuggling arms, etc.
To forestall this I should like to say:-
1.
Government of Hongkong have no evidence to show that
in any of the cases named junks were engaged in anything but fishing and other innocent activities; and
2. That even if some were engaged in activities
detrimental to Japanese interests destruction of vessels and (in some cases) killing of crews are neither justified under
international law nor consonant with dictates of humanity.
As however I am a little uncertain as to the accuracy
of (1) above, I should be grateful for your observations.
Should it be inaccurate, perhaps you could suggest suitable
way of forestalling argument mentioned in the first sentence.
I should be grateful for reply by telegraph.
Repeated to Foreign Office No. 319,
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