393.115 China National Aviation Company/67: Telegram
The Consul General at Hong Kong (Southard) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 18—7 a.m.]
Hostilities in South China have caused Eurasia Company partially to suspend its air services to and from Hong Kong which since recent resumption have been operated more or less regularly at night. Service henceforth will be irregular. On the basis of the Department’s telegram of August 30, 7 p.m. and related correspondence, operations manager W. L. Bond of China National Aviation Corporation, with the assistance of this Office, approached the local Japanese Consul General with a view to a resumption of the China National Services. Japanese Consul General has stated in effect that his Government cannot guarantee safety of planes in a war zone and that as South China now has that status neither Eurasia nor China National could be given guarantees. He offered to refer the matter to Tokyo, but Mr. Bond has not indicated whether he wishes that done as Tokyo reply will doubtless confirm what Japanese Consul General has already said. Bond has now gone to Chungking in one of his planes which took off at night and we assume he does not consider it advisable to attempt resumption of regular service.
Repeated to Chungking, Peiping, Canton.