893.113/1360
The Chargé in Great Britain (Atherton) to the Secretary of State
[Received February 3.]
Sir: Referring to the Embassy’s despatch No. 2456, December 10, 1931,13 with regard to British policy and procedure respecting shipments via or from Hong Kong to the Cantonese revolutionary government of arms and munitions of war and of airplanes, I have the honor to enclose a copy of an informal note from the Foreign Office, dated January 22, 1932,13 stating that although certain Armstrong-Whitworth planes did leave Hong Kong for Canton during October, machine-gun mountings were not then in place. The legal position was therefore that the Governor of Hong Kong had no power to prevent the clearance from the colony of the airplanes in question, since they were at that time commercial machines. No other planes with machine-gun mountings in place have left Hong Kong for Canton in recent months.
The note also states that the Foreign Office has been informed by the competent authorities here that no licence for the exportation from Great Britain of aircraft armament has been issued since June 1931, when owing to the establishment of a separate government at Canton, the practice was adopted of refusing to grant licences for arms, etc., destined for Canton.
Respectfully yours,