CO129-585-5 Sino-Japanese conflict- shipping on Pearl River 3-1-1940 - 25-8-1940 — Page 163

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regard to arrangements made unier the existing agreement

for the visits of British vessels to Canton and of Japanese

Government Chartered Vessels to Hongkong. This proposal I

am considering, but, whilst the arrangements at present in

force could certainly be simplified considerably 1thout

compromising our position with regard to the broader issues

involved, I shall not, of course, conclude any such arrangements

without first obtaining Your Excellency' views on and

concurrence in any proposal to which I may feel able to agree.

Now that weekly sailings for British passenger vessels

5.

on the Pearl River have been secured, I am hopeful that,

since the agreement does not specify what type of ship should

be used, it will be possible from time to time to substitute

a coastal boat for the usual river steamer. #ith this in

view

when it had been made clear that the new arrangement

would come into force at once, I said that accordingly 88

"Fetshan" could come up next week, and another steamer the

Once

•

following week. Mr. Kita took no exception to this.

this has been done without raising objections on the part of

the Japanese, objections for which they would find it difficult,

if not impossible, to find adequate grounds, I intend to press

for the right of these occasional coasters to carry cargo to

and from Canton. When (and if) this is achieved, I shall

then press for the reopening of the river. I naturally forsee

difficulties in carrying out this programme, but I feel that

it probably affords the best chance we have of getting the

Even if it fails, Pearl River re-opened reasonably soon.

nothing will have been lost through trying.

I have, etc.,

(sd.) W. Stark Toller.

CONSUL-ORNERAL.