CO129-580-2 Sino-Japanese War- British policy and reactions in Hong Kong and Malaya 27-7-1939 - 3-2-1940 — Page 107

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هنم را

CYPİLER TELEGRAM from the Governor of the Straits Settlements

to the Secretary of state for the Colonies.

Dated 22nd June, 1939. Received 12.47 p.m. 22nd June, 1939.

4107

No.45.

Government House. Secret and Personal.

I find myself.compelled to inform you that the

political effects on Asiatics in Malaya of our inaction in

China is bad. While the general feeling of the local

Chinese is strongly anti-Japanese and extremely loyal to

local Government there is much criticism of failure to deal

adequately with the high handed and oppressive measures

China

taken by the Japanese in ?Tangsøe River. Opinion amongst

the upper and middle classes is that British prestige has

been falling ever since the shooting of the British

Ambassador and that the insults and outrages on British

subjects and property in China are nothing new and are

only to be expected as a result of British weakness.

They will not be surprised if the British concessions in

Tientsin and Shanghai are surrendered. Opinion amongst the

lower classes is frankly that Britain is afraid and that the

British soldiers are not so brave and daring as the

Japanese.

From the enclosure to my letter of 22nd November

you will realise that as regards Siamese we are merely

playing into the hands of the Japanese.

For what it is worth my own opinion is that

Japan would not stand up to resolute action on our part and

that such action should be taken now, If we do not we run

the risk of alienating goodwill of those who are still

friendly disposed.