FO371-23517 — Page 31

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ORIGINAL Derecypher of a telegram from the Governor of

Hong Kong. Dated 10th November, 1939. Received in

the Colonial Office at

on 22.11.39.

Decoded

Decyphered

by

SAVING No. 1.

Addressed to Secretary of State for the

Colonies telegram No. 1 Saving. Repeated to British

Ambassador Tokio telegram No. 1 Saving, British Ambassador

Shanghai telegram No. 1 Saving dated 10th of November.

Your telegram of the 7th of October. Japanese

Consul General called yesterday and made the following

enquiries.

1. Would we agree to doubling number of British

and Japanese Government chartered vessels on Hong Kong

Canton run?

2. Would passage through Hong Kong mine field and

provision of pilot be arranged for Japanese vessels as is

the case with Japanese mine fields on Pearl River?

3. Could arrangements be made for specified kinds

of merchandise to be carried by both classes of vessel

between Hong Kong and Canton? (Present arrangement

precludes carrying merchandise).

merchandise in mind was such as paper and petroleum

products to Canton, fresh food from Canton.

Explaining that

4. Could permission be obtained for Japanese

Government chartered vessels to carry coal from Formosa

to Hong Kong?

5. Would Hong Kong Government like Japanese

troops moved away from border?

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6. (a)

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