Office of the Historian

893.512/721: Telegram

The Chargé in China (Mayer) to the Secretary of State

Peking, December 1, 1927—6 p.m.
[Received December 1—10:51 a.m.]

1055. 1. Following from consul general at Shanghai:

“November 29, 5 p.m.

(1)
The director of the Surtax Revenue Department, acting under instructions from the Ministry of Finance, Nanking, notifies today that on December 1, 1927, he will collect, apart from the transit dues, a surtax an additional one-half of the present customs transit dues.
(2)
Shall I file protest or take other action?”

[Page 428]

2. Department’s instructions requested as to whether Cunningham should protest this apparent extension of the transit dues of Washington Conference surtaxes. I respectfully suggest protesting this unwarranted application of Washington Conference principle in respect of customs dues.

Mayer