FO371-23517 — Page 88

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Sir,

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COPY.

BRITISH EMBASSY, 380

1 B.

June 13th. 1939.

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I have the honour to inform you that Mr. Matsuo of

the Japanese Embassy called on me today with an oral reply to

my letter to his embassy of the 11th. June on the subject of

the wounding of Private Lant and to enquire regarding the

wounded man's condition. He said that the affair, which was

between Japanese police (or gendarmes) and Japanese gangsters,

is being enquired into and that in due course I should receive

an expression of their regret that a British soldier should so

unfortunately have been wounded as an innocent bystander. He

also said that the Japanese authorities would like to make a

contribution towards hospital expenses.

2. Mr. Matsuo asked whether a bullet was found and

extracted, and if so whether it could be sent to him for

comparison with undischarged cartridges found in the revolver

of a gangster arrested in connection with the affair.

I have the honour to be,

Sir,

Your obedient Servant.

Commandant,

British Embassy Guard,

Peking.

(Signed) ALLAN ARCHER.

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