CO129-579-12 Sino-Japanese War- bombing of railway line within leased territories (Shamchun Incident) 21-2-1939 - 17-3-1939 — Page 44

This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government, and should be

returned to the Foreign Office if not required for official use.]

44

TO JAPAN.

Code telegram to Sir R. Craigie.

(Tokyo),

Foreign Office, 27th February, 1939.

No. 97. (R),

2.45 p.m.

today:

IMMEDIATE.

Following statement will be made in the House of Commons

On the 21st February a number of Japanese aeroplanes engaged in mopping up operations flew at a low altitude over the border of the British Leased Territory near Shamchun and dropped several bombs, killing one Sikh policeman and eight Chinese, and causing considerable damage to a train.

Machine

gun fire was also opened on the British railway station and two

Chinese were killed. The total number of wounded is not at

present known.

2. On the same day His Majesty's Consul-General at Canton was informed by his Japanese colleague of the readiness of the Japanese military authorities to tender their apologies

and make amends, Meanwhile His Majesty's Ambassador at

Tokyo protested to the Japanese Government, who have now replied expressing their profound regret that such an incident should have occurred, and assuring the mbassador that after a

strict/