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F 12538/3918/10.

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OUT FILE

SPECIAL DISTRIBUTION AND WAR CABINET.

To: CHINA.

Cypher telegram to Sir A. Clark Kerr, (Shanghai).

Foreign Office, December 12th, 1939. 11.40.a.m.

No. 1209.

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61

IMMEDIATE.

R.A.Y's telegram No. 727 to Admiralty (of 10th

December] and your telegram No. 1557 [of 11th December:

withdrawal of gunboats from Yangtze).

Please notify Chinese Government informally and add that

disposal of gunboats in free China is now under consideration.

2. This will present greater difficulties than in the

case of occupied China. We agree however in principle that

for the sake of consistency 'similar action should be

taken in both cases but decision on number to be laid up

in free China must await your reply to my telegram No. 1208.

(draft on F 12456/5918/10].

Repeated Tokyo No. 848 Chungking No.. 181,, Commander-in-

Chief unnumbered.

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