File No. 861.85/42

The Division of Operations of the United States Shipping Board Emergency Fleet Corporation (Steele) to the Assistant of the Counselor for the Department of State (Auchincloss)

Dear Sir: We beg to hand you herewith copy of memorandum under date of August 9 addressed to Mr. Munson of the War Trade Board, also copy of cable from the Governor General of the Philippine Islands which only reached us August 15.1 You will note the Governor General of the Philippine Islands requests that necessary steps be taken with the Japanese Ambassador to have vessel [Simferopol] return to Manila with coal where legal proceedings may determine questions involved.

We are passing this matter on to you, and will appreciate your taking it up with the Japanese Ambassador along the above lines, at the same time keeping us advised.

Very truly yours,

Division of Operations
By
Semmes Steele
[Enclosure—Extract]

Memorandum to Mr. Munson regarding the Russian steamer “Simferopol”

… Under date of May 24, we cabled the Governor General of the Philippine Islands in accordance with your instructions to grant license, permitting the vessel to proceed from Manila in Kamchatka trade.

The vessel later asked for the permission of calling at Shanghai or Kobe to drydock, prior to proceeding in the Kamchatka trade, which permission was cabled to the Governor General of the Philippines under date of June 6. The captain later stated that the vessel had missed her season for the Kamchatka trade, and requested permission to operate in inter-island Saigon rice trade between the Philippine Islands, China, Japan and Australia, which permission was granted in accordance with your instructions under date of June 27, subject to guarantee that vessel would not touch at any Russian port. At the request of the State Department this guarantee was waived and the vessel was allowed to report to the manager of the Volunteer Fleet in Japan, and then proceed to Vladivostok. On arrival at Kobe the vessel was seized by the alleged manager of the Russian Volunteer Fleet, claiming that the captain was without authority to charter. …

L. L. Richards

Bureau of Transportation
J. A. Robinson
  1. Not printed.