JERN BY PEP 21/1
2811
53846/39
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.
Aero
accem
16
63
ey.
Decypher
Sir R. Craigie. (Tokyo).
D. 8.20 p.m.
15th January, 1959.
13th January, 1959.
R. 2.00 p.m.
13th January, 1939.
No.41.
100000
Your telegram No.9. (15)
Japanese reaction to erection of an assembly plant lor aircraft in Burma whence they would be flown to China would be bad. It would increase existing tension in Anglo-Japanese relations and there would be an outcry in
the press.
As far as concrete measures of reprisals are concerned they are unlikely to go beyond increased pressure on British interests in China. Our answer to Japanese would presumably be based on absence of state of war and our ooligation to fulfil League of Nations resolution.
Action proposed would afford first real justification ior a charge of unneutral action (assuming we are behaving as if state of war in fact existed). This is a point to be considered if it is intended to keep future economic assistance to China within bounds allowed by obligations of neutrality. If however, His Majesty's Government decide on economic pressure on Japan (which means taking sides) then above arguments do not apply.
I presume paramount consideration is that Chiang- kai-shek should be preserved from collapse and if it is considered that supply to China of these aircraft would contribute to this end I think above risks should pe taken. I cannot help wondering however whether these aircraft will not merely be destroyed at once either through Chinese inefficiency or Japanese attack.
Addressed to Foreign Office No.41, repeated to Shanghai ¡lo.32, Rangoon and Chungking.
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