893.12/49
The Secretary of State to the Consul General at Shanghai ( Cunningham )
Sir: The Department has noted the statements, in your despatch No. 6680 to the Legation at Peiping, dated October 29, 1930,40 in regard to certificates of fumigation and disinfection of ships and cargo bound to the United States and to the Philippine Islands.
With reference to the suggestion made by Dr. R. W. Hart,41 that the United States Public Health Surgeon at your post be permitted to countersign certificates issued by officers of the Chinese National Quarantine Service in lieu of issuing his own certificate under Article 104 of the American Quarantine Regulations, the Department does not deem it advisable to authorize this practice at present.
The Legation at Peiping has received the proposed quarantine regulations from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the question of their acceptance is being held in abeyance while the tacitly permitted administration of quarantine in respect of incoming ships, passengers and cargo is being watched.
As this Government has not yet recognized the official character of officers of the Chinese National Quarantine Service, so far as American ships are concerned, and has not recognized the right of any Chinese officers other than those of the Chinese Maritime Customs to board American ships, it is considered inadvisable for any officer of the United States Government to accord to them even the implied recognition that would be involved in countersigning certificates issued by them for the use of the quarantine service in American and Philippine ports. For this reason, all certificates issued by the United States Public Health Surgeon at Shanghai should be his own and should carefully avoid assigning any official character to the Chinese establishment which actually performs the work of fumigation or disinfection or to the Chinese representatives signing documents in regard thereto.
Very truly yours,