FO371-23517 — Page 137

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was sure that the Generalissimo would be

grateful for my message and would appreciate it

as a mark of the continued sympathy of H.M.

Government.

4.

After a reference to the Chinese

Government's request for an air mission and an

enquiry about the possible sale to China of

second-line aeroplanes, His Excellency went on

to speak of the war in China. He said his

Government were much encouraged by the successes

which the Chinese regular and irregular forces

had recently obtained in the field. It was

very significant, His Excellency thought, that

certain peace feelers had been put out by the

Japanese to Mr. T. V. Soong during his recent

visit to Hong Kong.

I should be aware that

·

Mr. T. V. Soong had always been very insistent

that any peace settlement must be both reasonable

and equitable and His Excellency thought that

it was quietly encouraging that the Japanese

should have made their approaches to him.

5. I thanked His Excellency for this

information.

The Japanese move certainly

seemed to me to be a straw to show which way

the wind was blowing.

#.18.4

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