693.002 Manchuria/77
Memorandum by the Secretary of State
[Washington,] June 10, 1932.
I sent for the Japanese Ambassador today and read over to him the aide memoire in respect to the Chinese customs
administration in Manchuria. I told him that I understood that Great Britain
had a few days ago already made a similar representation. I pointed out that
we had been following it with anxious interest because this service involved
the rights and interests of the American Government in regard to certain
bonds and obligations of the Chinese Government. The Ambassador said he knew
this. I told him that this was not intended as a note but as a mere aide memoire of my conversation with him, and he
asked me whether I was making a similar démarche
through our Ambassador at Tokyo, and I said, no. He said that in that event
he would at once send this communication to his Government.
[Enclosure]
Aide-mémoire
The Department has received recent reports indicating that the present
régime in Manchuria is contemplating taking over the Chinese Customs
Administration in that area. The Chief Secretary of the present régime
in Manchuria has issued a press statement to the effect
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that that régime expects within a few days
to take over the Customs, after which collections will be included in
the receipts of the new régime. The Department is also informed from
other reliable sources that this is the intention of the authorities of
the new régime and further that the new régime intends shortly to
appoint an inspector general of Customs for Manchuria who will be a
Japanese customs expert from Japan.
The American Government would view with great concern a, violation of the
integrity of the Chinese Maritime Customs by the disorganization of that
service in Manchuria and it is believed that other governments would be
similarly concerned. As is well known, the maintenance of the integrity
of this Chinese administrative service involves the rights and interests
of various foreign governments, including the American Government, in
relation to certain fiscal obligations of the Chinese Government.
Moreover, maintenance of the integrity of the Chinese Maritime Customs
as a Chinese administrative service is of concern to the powers
signatory to the Nine-Power Treaty in view of their commitments under
that Treaty.
In view of the fact that, according to the information available to the
Department, Japanese subjects, over whom the Japanese Government alone
can exercise control, are the principal advisers to the authorities of
the new régime in Manchuria, it has been felt necessary to bring this
matter to the attention of the Japanese Ambassador.
