893.512/960
The Minister in China (MacMurray) to the Consul General at Tientsin (Gauss)57
Sir: I beg leave to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch of April 22, 1929,58 in which you inform the Legation that by a notification issued March 20th, the Revenue Stamps Tax Bureau at Tientsin, operating through the Customs Bank, has imposed certain stamp taxes on goods imported from Shanghai under “Exemption Certificates,” and that you have received a protest from the American Chamber of Commerce in regard to such imposition. You request instructions with regard to the action to be taken concerning these new stamp taxes.
The Legation is of the opinion that, in the absence of some discriminatory feature, either in the imposition of such taxes or their collection, the Consulate General should take no action in the matter, at least for the time being. In the event that there appear to be any discriminatory features in the taxes, you are authorized to protest their imposition on such grounds.
I am [etc.]