Office of the Historian

893.51/5294: Telegram

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

Peiping, June 24, 1930—11 a.m.
[Received June 24—4:10 a.m.65]

489. Legation’s 487, June 23, 7 p.m. The following communication despatched yesterday by the Senior Consul (American Consul General) at Tientsin to the Senior Minister will be discussed at a meeting of the Diplomatic Body this morning:

“I have the honor to inform Your Excellency that at meeting of the Consular Body held this morning, I was requested to communicate the following to the Senior Minister for the consideration of the interested Ministers:

1.
The Consular Body is of the opinion that the foreign merchants at Tientsin will be obliged to deal with the customs regime set up by the Shanghai [Shansi] faction.
2.
According to advices received at Tientsin, the Shanghai customs are collecting Tientsin duties on all cargo destined for Tientsin including transit and tran[s]ship[ment] cargo, before granting clearance for ships. It is understood that instructions have been issued to customs at other ports under control of National Government for similar collection of Tientsin duties before granting clearance. Upon arrival of this cargo at Tientsin the question will arise as to a demand for a second payment of the duties to the customs regime at this port.
3.
Consuls understand that similar action will be taken at Shanghai and elsewhere of every cargo exported from Tientsin whether destination is in China or abroad.
4.
Unless a solution is found to avoid this double taxation the trade and shipping of Tientsin will be practically suppressed.
5.
According to article 25 of the British treaty of Tientsin and corresponding articles in other treaties, import duties are payable at the port of destination and export duties at the port of shipment.
6.
The Consular Body suggest that the Diplomatic Body approach the Nanking Government and intimate that unless the latter can effectively control Tientsin they should not concern themselves with the customs functions here.”

Repeated to the Minister at Nanking.

For the Minister:
Perkins
  1. Telegram in two sections.↩