CO129-579-2 Sino-Japanese War- attack on British ship S.S. Sagres 9-4-1939 - 13-7-1939 — Page 36

{Ta Document Is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government, and should be returned to the Foreign Office if not required for official use.]

From JAPAN.

Decypher. Sir R. Craigie (Tokyo)

26th April, 1939.

D.

1.14 p..

26th April, 1939.

R. 9.00 a.m.

26th April, 1939.

No. 362.

:

32

Sagres

Commander-in-Chief's telegram to Admiralty.

IMEDIATE.

You will have seen from last paragraph of my telegram

No. 353 action which I have taken in regard to Sagres.

Report of the aster shows Japanese action to have been inexcusably high-handed and I should like to press matter with Minister for Foreign Affairs by giving him its substance.

I am however reluctant to act further until I receive your

instructions.

The only sure way of securing return of ship and future

abstention from seizure would be to address strong note, followed by some promised retaliation (e.g. detention of a Japanese ship) if we do not receive satisfaction within a

reasonable period. As however I understand His Majesty's

Government are not prepared to contemplate retaliation at

present I think preferable course would be to do what we can

here by oral representations to Ministry of Foreign Affairs

and Ministry of Marine, leaving formal note or protest to a

later stage.

I presume right of British ships to carry salt belonging

to/

36