CO129-580-2 Sino-Japanese War- British policy and reactions in Hong Kong and Malaya 27-7-1939 - 3-2-1940 — Page 49

as a basis for settlement of the silver question

that it should be sealed in a neutral bank and

that say £100,000 should be used for urgent

flood relief purposes under expert cœmittee

comprising British, Japanese, Chinese and

possibly French representatives. lle was

authorised on 28th November (Foreign Office

telegram io.799) to approach the Japanese

Government on that basis, and on Ɛnd December

(Tokyo telegrams Nos.1581 and 1582) he

discussed the matter with the Japanese

Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, as a result

of which it was agreed that he should draft an

arrangement on the lines that!-

1. Silver should be transferred to either

(a) a neutral bank or (b) to the Hong Kong and

Shanghai Bank and Yokohama Specie Bank jointly

or (c) to a safe deposit under the joint

control of these banks.

2.

Silver to remain under seal until such

time as agreement is reached between the

British and Japanese Goverments for a

modification/

49