CO129-580-1 Sino-Japanese War- handing over of suspected terrorists to Japanese authorities 1-5-1939 - 24-8-1939 — Page 150

2.

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internment is not deterrent enough in such a case. These two

persons should therefore be handed over to de facto authorities

for trial.

3. I have told Japanese authorities that the disposal of

the men under arrest is still under consideration of the Foreign

Office and you, but that with regard to the future offenders the

Foreign Office had under discussion with you a policy the general

principles of which I thought would remove all cause of friction.

4. You will naturally understand the community has and is

still in considerable anxiety as to the future course of events,

and as questions had been addressed to me from time to time I

thought it only my duty to ta e the leading members such as the

chairman of the Council Mr. lent, and Mr. Hathan, into my

confidence. The whole deadlock has been freely ventilated in the

Japanese-controlled press and material of British Committee's

telegram to which Your Excellency refers was in fact based on

common knowledge not on talks which I had had with the chairman

of the Council, etc., etc. I was personally not very favourably

disposed towards any telegram being sent by A.B.C. as I did not

wish to embarrass Your Excellency but I felt I could not prohibit

an association of high standing from transmitting its views,

granting that they do so through me. While I appreciate Your

Excellency's feelings with regard to conscience, I venture to

submit that scruples regarding the handing over of the men, who even if innocent of the major crime charged, are at any rate

members of a terrorist gang, should not override the principles

of fair play giving rise to an accusation by the Japanese that we are not being neutral but are deliberately assisting the Chinese.

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