CO129-580-2 Sino-Japanese War- British policy and reactions in Hong Kong and Malaya 27-7-1939 - 3-2-1940 — Page 82

CO129 Colonial Office Hong Kong Records 理藩院香港檔案 All

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[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.

Sir R. Craigie, (Tokyo).

4th September, 1939.

D.

R.

1.40 a.m.

2.10 a.m.

5th September, 1939.

5th September, 1939.

No. 1162.

1 Your telegram No. 556.

dddddddddd

I am grateful for full outline of your views and submit my own

observations as follows:

General situation.

e

This appears to be at first sight less favourable for successful

resumption of Tientsin negotiations than it was before the fall of

the late government (i.e. the moment at which I sent my telegram

No. 1095). First and foremost outbreak of war should, in the

opinion of many Japanese provide Japan with completion of the

opportunity which she has awaited for driving a large part of our

interests from China. Secondly the new cabinet does not impress

me very favourably and in any case it lacks the personal incentive

of its predecessor to conclude conversations satisfactorily.

must avoid the joint danger of appearing over-anxious to renew

conversations and missing a favourable opportunity to do so. If

new cabinet were to decide in favour of Japan making common cause

with the Democracies everyt ing would of course be simplified but

there is nothing which cold at present justify reliance on any such

decision (in such matters Mr. Edwards and even Mr. Shigemitsu may prove dangerous guides) and my observations are based on the assump-

tion that for a time the cabinet will remain on the fence.

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