CO129-585-5 Sino-Japanese conflict- shipping on Pearl River 3-1-1940 - 25-8-1940 — Page 177

In any further communication on this subject, please quote

No.

13003/79/10.

address-

not to any person by name

but to-

The Under-Secretary of State,”

Foreign Office,

London, S.W.1.

| DuPL

3

177

FOREIGN OFFICE.

S.W.1.

6th January, 1940.

44/-/39.

sir,

With reference to Colonial office letter No.

53838/34/39 of the 27th December, 1939, I am directed

by Viscount Halifax to state that he agrees with Mr.

Secretary MacDonald's view that it is not desirable at

present to make any formal protest to the Japanese

authorities regarding trade between Canton and Hong Kong in contravention of the agreement recently concluded with

them to regulate navigation on the Pearl River.

2. The Japanese Government have recently

indicated that they are contemplating the removal of some

of the restrictions on the navigation of the Pearl River

and it will be seen from the attached copy of a telegram

from Tokyo that the Japanese Army authorities in South

China stated on the 30th December that the opening of the

river had been decided upon. In view of this, Lord

Halifax considers that it may be preferable to allow the

Japanese authorities to proceed in this matter on their own

initiative rather than to press them to adopt a course

upon which they appear already to have made up their minds.

I am,

sir,

Your obedient Servant,

R.S. Howe

The Under-3ecretary of State,

Colonial office.