[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government, and should be returned to the Foreign Office if not required for official use.]
From JAPAN.
Decypher.
Sir R. Craigie (Tokyo),
30th July, 1939.
D.
11.15 a.m. 30th July, 1939.
R.
9.30 a.in.
30th July, 1939.
No. 892.
IMPORTANT.
50
My telegram No. 891.
Japanese representatives by way of further clarification of item 8 on the agenda have expressed the hope that, with a view to clearing off all that stands in the way of improving the general feeling between the Japanese and British in North China, British authorities would see their way to handing over of Ssu Ching-wu and other three internees (one of the five internees escaped some two months ago, reducing the total number from five to four. This was not explained to the Japanese as they seemed to be without that satisfied with the total number of four given). I thought it better to have this matter discussed outside the conference table. As a result of many talks between Major Herbert on the one hand and General Muto, Major Chta and Mr. Tanaka on the other, I have agreed to recommend to Your Lordship the following solution:
Ssu to be
interned by the de facto authorities, he not to be ill-treated in any way and British Consul-General to be allowed to send a representative from time to time to visit him; the other three internees to be expelled unobtrusively and at their own time from the concession. As in the case of the four men I feel this should not form part of the general settlement but should be done in advance, Solution will enable the British Municipal Council to get out of embarrassing position in which it has been placed against its will. In this connexion I may add that Mr. Tanaka has persist- ently repeated that it is the firm conviction of Japanese authorities that the British Municipal Council and/or His Majesty's Government are acting ultra vires in detaining these men - a view which is shared by His Majesty's Consul-General at Tientsin, the legal adviser to the Consul and also, I believe, by His Majesty's Government themselves.
Addressed to Foreign Office No. 892 July 30th, repeated to Shanghai No. 735 and Tientsin No. 215.
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