Decypher. Mr. Blunt (Canton,
March 9th 1939.
D. Wireless.
March 9th 1939.
R. 5.30 p.m.
March 9th 1939.
No.23.
82
NO DISTRIBUTION.
2
Addressed to His Majesty's Ambassador Shanghai, No.46 of
March 9th.
Your telegram No.23.
"Agreement" or memorandum is explained in its introductory
note. It can be altered on the ground that any particular point
had not been "agreed upon by higher authorities concerned". This
applies to the Commander-in-Chief's objection (see his telegram
of March 2nd) and omission of this phrase will make no difference
to the remainder of the agreement.
2. Question is whether this action is advisable. In actual
fact all parties knew that Japanese would ask once a week and grant
once a fortnight. I would much have preferred a gentlemen's
agreement but the Japanese wanted to know exactly what they would receive and grant. My vague wording in paragraph 3 combined with definite reservation in paragraph 2 was designed as [? compromise]
which I considered sufficiently within my instructions (see Foreign Office telegram No.1 to me) ad hoc, while calculated to avoid its
possible use as a precedent for merchant shipping for the following
reasons.
3.
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