893.113 Radio/20: Telegram
The Minister in China ( MacMurray ) to the Secretary of State
[Received June 20—3:20 p.m.]
495. Your 187, June 7, 3 p.m. Following from Shanghai:
“June 19, 11 a.m. The following has been received from the office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs bearing date June 14, 1929, in reply to this office’s telegram of May 22nd, as advised in my No. 88 of May 22, 11 a.m. to the Legation.15
‘Having referred your request to the proper organization, we have now received the following reply from the Minister of Finance:
“With a view to exercise of caution in respect to military intelligence, the Ministry of War, in consultation with the General staff, has previously suggested a rule for restriction import of radio apparatus or material. The rule provides that no individual, corporation or business establishment engaged in the buying or selling of radio apparatus or material shall be allowed to import the same without having secured a huchao 16 from the Ministry of War. It further provides that the purposes for which such apparatus or material is to be imported shall be fully and completely declared so that investigations may be made with greater facility. The record discloses that, with the sanction of the National Government, the Ministry of Finance has instructed all customhouses to enforce compliance with this rule, the purpose [of] which is not to prohibit entry but to regulate shipment. The issuance of huchao by the Ministry of War has now been discontinued by a mandate, and the Ministry of Finance has under consideration the way of modifying or adapting the above restrictive rule to circumstances. As soon as a new rule or modus operandi is framed and ratified, we shall direct all customhouses to carry it into force so that it may be easier for United States [merchants] to effect shipment.”
We have to transmit this reply for your information and would appreciate your forwarding it to the American Minister.’
Copy of complete despatch is being forwarded by today’s mail.”17