Office of the Historian

893.512/840

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

Washington, August 6, 1928.
No. 948

Sir: The Department refers to your instruction of May 18, 1928, to the American Consul at Swatow57 regarding a 20 per cent surtax for the relief of sufferers from “red” outrages and transmits herewith a copy of a letter, dated July 19, 1928, from the Art Embroidered Linen Importers Association of New York58 asking that a protest be made against this tax. A copy of the Department’s reply of today’s date is also enclosed.59

It is requested that further consideration be given to this matter in view of the request made by the Association above mentioned. If, in your judgment, a protest now seems advisable, you should issue appropriate instructions to the Consul at Swatow. The Department desires that it be informed of whatever action may be taken in the premises in order that it may in turn inform the Linen Importers Association.

I am [etc.]

For the Secretary of State:
Nelson Trusler Johnson
  1. Ante, p. 503.↩
  2. Not printed.↩

  3. Not printed; the pertinent portion of the Department’s reply, dated August 4, reads as follows:

    “In reply you are informed that, under conditions which have prevailed in China, new taxes of various kinds have been imposed from time to time and, when such taxes have been regarded as contrary to treaty stipulations, protests have been made against them. These protests have, in the majority of cases, not resulted in the withdrawal of the taxes in question, and for this reason it has been considered in some cases not advisable to continue to protest.”

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