693.001/557
The American Chargé in Japan ( Dooman ) to the Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs ( Arita )
Excellency: Acting under the instructions of my Government, I have the honor to refer to Your Excellency’s note No. 34, Commercial III, of April 13, 1939, in reply to my note No. 1207 of March [Page 849] 11, 1939, relating to the drastic trade restrictions, including the requirement of export permits and controlled money exchange, imposed by the Japanese-sponsored régime in North China with the support of the Japanese authorities.
My Government now desires me to point out to Your Excellency that there has been little or no alleviation in the conditions complained of in my note under reference and that the measures still in force continue to work considerable hardship on and discrimination against American interests and seriously to interfere with the normal flow of trade between the United States and Japanese-occupied areas in China.
In Your Excellency’s note of April 13, 1939, under reference, certain objectives were set forth with the view to promoting the sound development of trade in North China and the determination was expressed to support the measures in force. In this relation I desire to point out that the conditions brought about by these measures and which have been the subject of our complaint cannot be reconciled with the objectives set out in Your Excellency’s note of April 13; and, accordingly, I must again express the hope that the Japanese authorities will not continue to stand behind the enforcement of these measures and will remove existing restrictions which so seriously interfere with the normal flow of trade between the United States and North China.
I avail myself [etc.]