CO129-579-5 Sino-Japanese War- Japanese aircraft- Hong Kong air space and other activities 31-1-1939 - 5-8-1939 — Page 107

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from

3. In view however of the racte that compliance with

this request caures considereble inconvenience to the critish aircraft concerned and that His sjenty's Government have

hitherto strongly maintained their right to fly over any

parts of China for which they have received permissior the Chinese Government, Sora Halifax would propose, subject to the concurrence of the Air Council, to instruct His Majesty's «mbassa:lor at Tokyo to make representations accordingly to the Japanese Government, in addition to those already made by

r. Blunt at Canton.

Lord Kelifar would further propose to instruct

Gir Robert raigle to deliver at the same time a strongly

worded protest at the attack on the "elia" to the Japonese Government. He would point out that they are kept regularly

informed of the course an. time-table followed by Tessra. Imperial irways' services whi that the Japanese who fired at

the aircraft cannot possibly have been ignorant of her identity. He would add that ritish aircraft have now been

instructed to avoid weicho Island in accordance with the japenose request and that if the Japɛnese Consul-General at Junton had made the notification in question not on the 2nd "ebruary but, as apparently intended, on the 25th January,

thie incident would not have arisen.

5. A copy of this letter is being sent to the Colonial

office.

I 80,

Sir,

Your obedient Lervant,

(Sd.) R. G. HOWE,