CO129-579-12 Sino-Japanese War- bombing of railway line within leased territories (Shamchun Incident) 21-2-1939 - 17-3-1939 — Page 95

[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.

B

95

From:

JAPAN.

Decode.

Sir R. Craigie, (Tokyo).

February 23rd, 1939.

D.

1.00.p.m. February 23rd, 1939.

R.

9.30. a.m. February 23rd, 1939.

No. 173.

(R).

IMMEDIATE.

My immediately preceding telegram.

Following is translation of Japanese note:

"Your Excellency,

I have the honour to acknowledge receipt of Your Excellency's note No. 41 of February 21st regarding the incident in which bombs were dropped by Japanese aircraft on a train within Hongkong leased territory on that date.

I immediately referred contents of Your Excellency's note to Imperial authorities on the spot with instructions to investigate the facts. According to their report, it is a fact that a disaster occurred in that aircraft of Imperial forces, while engaged in a bombing attack against defeated Chinese troops in the neighbourhood of Shumchun on the morning of February 21st, dropped bombs by mistake within Hongkong leased territory in close proximity to the Chinese border. informed that the Imperial military authorities on the spot have provisionally conveyed an expression of apology to British Consul-General at Canton through Imperial Consul-General there.

I am

The Imperial Government hereby profess their profound regret that such an incident should have occurred and I have the honour to inform Your Axcellency that I intend to bring about a settle- ment through immediate negotiations between the British and Japanese authorities on the spot with regard to payment of com- pensation for damages and other matters.

Addressed to Foreign Office No. 173; repeated to Shanghai No. 146, Hongkong No. 24 and Canton.