CO129-579-5 Sino-Japanese War- Japanese aircraft- Hong Kong air space and other activities 31-1-1939 - 5-8-1939 — Page 87

British Consulte-General,

CANON 87

Janu ry 26th, 1939.

Katsuo Okazaki,

irt and dear Colleague,

I have the honour to inform y that I received

at 7.40 last night your "Very urgent" communication of

yesterday': date addressed to the senior consul announcing

that "there seem to be come aircraft whose nationality is

unknown to the Japanese autho ities flying occasionally

来

over the zone of Japanese military operations in Shine,

and that, since such flights n turally hinder the activities

of the Japanese forces, they have decided to shoot down all

such aircraft".

2.

While I immediately communicated the contents of

your note by telegram to my Government and to other British

authorities concerned, I mus: take his opportunity of

reminding you that, with reference to the various statements

issued by the Japanese foreign office in Tokyo to the Third

wers concerned regardin the fli ht of aircraft of Third

Powers over the zone of Japanese militery operacions in

hine, His Majesty's mosssador at Tokyo has, under instruc-

Lions receive from Hisajesty's Covernment, repeatedly

drawn the attention of the Japanese Government to the

attitude of my Covernment in this en similar cases; namely

that the responsibility for ensuring that British lives and

property in China are not made the subject of attack must

rest with the Japanese a thorities conc red. This res-

ponsibility will remain even if aeroplanes in which ritish

interests are concerned should fly within the area of

Japanese militery operations in hins either by day or night.

I refer particularly to Sir Robert raigie's note lio. 186

of November 17th to His Excellency #r. dachiro rita.

squire,

His Imperial Japanese Majesty's

Consul-General,

CANTO N.

I have the honour to be,

ir and dear Collea ̧ 10,

Your obedient servant,

(sgd.) A.P. BLUNT.

CORE-GENERAL.