Cablegram 409 LONDON, 12 June 1940
FOR PRIME MINISTER MOST SECRET
On receipt of your telegram of 28th May [1] I at once advised Halifax [2] accordingly. Foreign Office have now advised that they consulted Dutch Government in London (also Governor-General of Netherlands East Indies [3]) and permission was granted for landing at Sourabaya. Dutch Government advised that it would be most convenient for actual arrangements to be made between Governor-General of Netherlands East Indies and Canberra direct and stated they had instructed Governor-General accordingly.
Foreign Office also instructed Craigie [4] that if the flight attracted attention in Japan he should explain that Hudsons were replacing R.A. F. squadron at Singapore. No reactions however have been reported from Tokyo.
BRUCE
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1 Document 295.
2 U.K. Foreign Secretary. Bruce’s note of this conversation on 29 May 1940 is on the file here cited.
3 Dr A. W. L. Tjarda van Starkenborgh Stachouwer.
4 U.K. Ambassador to Japan.
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[AA: A2937, NEI, ii]