CO129-580-3 Sino-Japanese War- anti-Japanese activities in Hong Kong 23-8-1939 - 30-12-1939 — Page 15

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6.(b).

This enquiry was presumably

prompted by the thought that such a request

on the part of the Chungking authorities might have afforded a parallel to the Japanese

request for the handing over of the Tientsin assassins. The request might have been somewhat embarrassing had it been made for the

Japanese might have attempted to make capital out of it; although clearly there is an essential difference between Hong Kong's status

as a Crown Colony and the consular jurisdiction of the Tientsin concession, and the cases would not, in fact, have been parallel at all.

6. (c).

According to the Governor's telegram at 22 on 7230/1/38, the number of vessels must be 3, (i.e. one armed launch and two small vessels belonging to the Canton provincial authorities which formerly were given the status of men of war by the Hong Kong Government). It was decided that internment of the crews of these vessels was undesirable

on political grounds, consequently immobilisation was effected by the voluntary removal of the engine slide-valves by the officers in charge of the vessels (see 58 and 69 on 7230/1/38). During the typhoon seasons these slide-valves were returned in order not to endanger the safety

of