893.51/5292: Telegram

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

[Paraphrase]

207. Your 481, June 22, 1930, 2 p.m.

(1) The Japanese Counselor of Embassy Horinouchi on June 21 called at the Department under his Ambassador’s instructions to inform the Department of the instructions sent by the Japanese Foreign Office to the Secretary in charge of the Peiping Japanese Legation directing him to approach the diplomatic representatives there of the Washington Conference powers with suggestions: (a) That these powers jointly address the Northern Military Coalition inviting attention to the illegality of the measures they have taken in connection with the Tientsin customhouse, and (b) that the representatives of the same powers then inform the National Government of the aforesaid action. Mr. Horinouchi observed that his Government was not hopeful that any practical result would necessarily follow the proposed joint representations, but his Government hoped that the moral effect produced thereby might serve to prevent similar interference with the Customs Administration at other ports in China. The Japanese Government pointed out that a basis may be found for the proposed action in the assurance the Chinese delegates to the Washington Conference gave that their Government did not intend to disturb the Customs Administration63 (see report of the Conference, page 292).

Mr. Horinouchi then said the Japanese Government was apprehensive that, if by acquiescence the foreign powers seemed to impart legality to any action taken by the Northern Coalition at Tientsin, customhouses at other places might thereby be similarly endangered. He concluded by expressing his Government’s hope that the American Government would see its way to instructing the American Legation at Peiping to take part in the joint representations proposed. He [Page 248] added that telegrams similar to the one received in Washington had been sent by the Japanese Foreign Office to the Japanese diplomatic representatives at London, Paris, Brussels, and Rome.

(2) The Department assumes that the Japanese proposal has already been forwarded, if received by the Legation, to the Minister, and his comments, on the proposal are desired by the Department to be telegraphed at the earliest moment convenient.

Stimson