893.841 Surtax/37: Telegram
The Consul General at Shanghai (Cunningham) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 27—10:20 a.m.]
Referring to Department’s telegram of August 26, 6 p.m., the report is incorrect. The steamship Mobile City was cleared with consular clearance only upon written request of acting manager of the United States Steel Products Company, Shanghai, after he had been informed in accordance with Department’s telegram of August 17, 3 p.m., that such clearance was at company’s risk and after he had filed with me guarantee similar in form and tenor to that executed by the Dollar Company and referred to in my telegram August 25, 3 p.m. to the Legation.9 The decision as to the course of action was left entirely to the United States Steel Products Company. The substance of the Department’s telegram of August 17, 3 p.m., was made known to company’s acting manager, resulting in his filing guarantee above referred to.
2. Copies of form letters are being forwarded by next mail which will clearly show that no advice not to pay surtax has been given but each firm has been studiously urged to make its own decision and accept full responsibility for all eventualities and that the United States Government could accept no responsibility whatsoever.