893.512/808: Telegram

The Minister in China (MacMurray) to the Secretary of State

267. Your 124, April 17, 7 p.m.

1.
The Decanate states that favorable replies have been received from the Belgian, Swedish, Danish, French, Netherlands, Italian, Spanish and Norwegian Legations, but that no replies have been received from the other Legations. It thus appears that the British and Portuguese as well as the Japanese have not yet replied.
2.
This proposed surtax is for the double object of securing funds for relief work and for the payment of China’s arrears due to the League of Nations and in respect to the latter object is paralleled by the request for surtax on tonnage dues to provide funds for maintenance of Chinese Legations and consulates and for arrears due to the League of Nations last year.43 When this request as to tonnage dues was originally made, Peking authorities claimed they could secure consent of the Southern regimes to the objects for which proceeds were to be applied. The request is now complicated without the promised understanding with the South.
MacMurray