CO129-579-7 Sino-Japanese War- shipping on Pearl River 4-1-1939 - 9-6-1939 — Page 142

142 END

NO DISTRIBUTION.

Decode and Decypher,

Mr. Blunt (Canton).

22nd December, 1938.

D.

(Via W/T.) 22nd December, 1938.

R.

3.15 p.m.,

22nd December, 1938.

No. 169.

✔

▸ 6 +

• 2

A

་

• A

• •

•

22nd.

[Beginning of R.]

Addressed to Embassy Shanghai telegram No. 325 December

Tokyo telegram No. 89.

Japanese transport arrived December 19th with a cargo of rice and with at least fifty Japanese passengers from

Shanghai.

2. I am credibly informed she left Shanghai as a merchant vessel (name Sungshag Maru) December 12th and was painted and converted into a transport during the voyage.

I should be grateful for an early confirmation or otherwise of the first part of this statement. Vessel left Canton

for Shanghai on return voyage December 21st.

[End of R.]

る。

Importance of this case and of new launch service

under naval flag started today between Canton and Macao

which will carry Japanese and, it is said, any passengers,

is that Japanese local authorities will have no longer an excuse for objecting to similar services by British ships of similar tonnage under nominal naval charter if Commander- in-Chief will agree to this long standing suggestion by ine.

Repeated to Governor Hongkong telegram No. 240, Commander-in-Chief telegrain No. 164 and Foreign Office

telegram No. 169.