Your Excellency,
I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of the Note which Your Excellency was good enough to address to me on the 1st February, containing the Japanese Government's observations on my Note of the 27th January, regarding the case of the "Asama Maru."
His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom are unable to accept the validity of the legal arguments contained in this Note and must once more affirm that they consider themselves to be fully entitled under international law to remove the 21 German officers and ratings from this vessel. His Majesty's Government reserve the right to reply to Your Excellency's Note in due course. In the meantime I have the honour to state that the investigation into the training and antecedents of these men, which has been in progress since their arrival in Hong Kong, has disclosed that some of them are relatively unsuitable for military service. I am glad therefore to be able to inform Your Excellency that, as an earnest of their desire to reach an amicable settlement of this case and while reserving all their legal rights, His Majesty's Government are prepared to release nine of these men who would be handed over to the proper Japanese authorities at a time and place to be agreed upon.
I avail myself of this opportunity to renew to Your Excellency the assurance of my highest consideration.
(Signed) R. L. Craigie.