CO129-585-1 Sino-Japanese conflict- attacks on shipping 25-1-1940 - 2-10-1940 — Page 358

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

OUTWARD TELEGRAM

[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government, and should be

kept under Lock and Key.]

GENERAL DISTRIBUTION.

To:

JAPAN.

Cypher telegram to Sir R. Craigie, (Tokyo).

Foreign Office. January 27th, 1940.

5,00. p.m.

No. 60.

--o0o--

357

IMMEDIATE.

25th:

Commander-in-Chief China's telegram No. 12552 of January

[Interference with British launch Kwong Hing].

I yesterday sent a personal message to Japanese Ambassador,

calling his attention to this incident and expressing my serious

concern at such a clear violation of British territorial waters.

I caused His Excellency to be informed that we were anxious to

avoid any aggravation of the present situation, and were doing

our best to keep the matter out of the press, but that we were

bound to take a serious view of it.

2.

The Ambassador promised to report the matter at

once to Tokyo.

You

3. You should also mention this case privately and

confidentially to M. Arita when you next see him and say that

but for our anxiety to avoid further misunderstandings at the

present juncture we should have felt obliged to make a most

formal protest which must inevitably have become public.

should point out that this kind of thing, involving as it does

not only a clear violation of international law about which

there is no dispute, but also violence and extreme discourtesy,

is in striking contrast to the facts of the Asama incident.

4. His Majesty's Government are anxious, as are also,

they hope, the Japanese Government, to secure early settlement

of

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