CO129-579-5 Sino-Japanese War- Japanese aircraft- Hong Kong air space and other activities 31-1-1939 - 5-8-1939 — Page 121

BRITISH EMBASSY

TOKYO,

17th November, 1938.

121

Your Excellency,

I have the nonour under instructions from

His Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign

Affairs to inform Your Excellency that His Majesty's

Government in the United Kingdom have had under consideration

the Note No. 41 Identic which you were so good as to address

to me on the 7th November making certain requests intended

to obviate the danger to British lives and property which

is likely to result from the extension of the hostilities into

the provinces of Kiangsi, Hupeh, Hunan and Kwangsi. These

requests have been duly communicated to the British authorities

concerned.

2.

I am instructed in this connexion to invite Your

Excellency's attention to my Note No.167 of the 24th

October last and to state once again the view of His Majesty's

Government in regard to such matters. Their attitude

may perhaps best be summarised as follows: The responsibility

for ensuring that British lives and property in China are

not made the subject of attack must rest with the Japanese

authorities concerned. This responsibility will remain,

even if (1) aeroplanes in which British interests are

His Excellency

Mr. Hachiro Arita,

His Imperial Japanese Majesty's

Minister for Foreign Affairs,

concerned/