When I first brought to Your Excellency’s attention some of these
obstructive activities on the part of Japanese officials, I received the
impression that these facts were not then known to you, and you asked me
to bring directly to your notice such further difficulties in this
respect as might be encountered. These difficulties continue with very
little indication, at least in some places, of any effort whatever on
the part of the local authorities to obviate them. I therefore enclose,
for Your Excellency’s information, a partial list of these difficulties
at the present time.
I venture the thought that reasonable reciprocity will never be
established in Japan and in areas under Japanese control in line with
the liberal and friendly treatment now accorded to Japanese nationals in
the United States until the most explicit instructions go out from the
Government in Tokyo to all branches and all ranks of Japanese
officialdom, both military and civil. I do not believe that my
Government will feel in a position to wait very much longer before
taking what would appear to be wholly reasonable and logical steps to
equalize the treatment of our respective nationals in our respective
countries.
[Enclosure]
The American Embassy in
Japan to the Japanese Ministry for
Foreign Affairs
Memorandum
Referring to the document left with His Excellency, the Minister for
Foreign Affairs, on August 15, 1941,94 the
following further information has been received from American
diplomatic and consular offices in Japan and in Japanese-occupied
areas in China of interference with American rights and
interests.
Police Action:
Recently the police at Dairen twice searched the house of the local
representative of the National City Bank; on the second occasion
three policemen without any notice or warrant and in the absence of
the owner entered his house, completely ransacked it, and left it in
disorder. They also searched the residence of the British acting
manager of the Texas Company, an American concern. He is in effect
debarred from living at his residence as a result of the
difficulties encountered when he visits the property and by the
“advice” tendered to him. Recently a Chinese watchman at the
Standard-Vacuum Oil Company’s plant was tied up for several hours
during the night and thus prevented from attending to his duties.
Still more recently he was administered a severe beating while
making his regular patrols. The inference is inescapable that an
attempt is being made by the authorities in every way to make
difficult and to obstruct the company’s operations while avoiding
any direct action against the officials of the company
themselves.
The American Catholic Mission at Fushun, Manchuria, reports that it
was ordered by the police authorities to close three stations near
Fushun. The Mission complied with the order, but upon requesting a
reason therefor was informed that no reasons would be given. More
than a hundred Chinese students in a primary school operated by the
Mission were intimidated into discontinuing attendance as a result
of police action in calling at their homes; the suggestion was then
made by the police that as it was obvious the Manchurians did not
wish to attend the school, the Mission had better close it.
On September 11, 1941, an American national at Dairen was prevented
by the action of the police from sailing upon a ship upon which he
had a reservation and for which sailing he had obtained the
necessary exit permit. It appears that a few hours prior to the
sailing he was informed that without first obtaining a special
permit therefor, he
[Page 916]
could
take with him no personal effects in excess of a total value of
twenty yen, including trunks, bags, and clothing; that he must
specify in the application for the permit each class of article
however small (handkerchiefs, for example) as well as the value and
the number of each class; that he would not be permitted to take
with him any article in excess of the number listed or not
specifically listed if the permit were issued; that an application
for a permit must be submitted giving in detail his estimated
expenditures on the ship and that he could take only sufficient
money to pay his expenses on the ship. He was of course unable to
sail in view of the lack of time in which to comply with these
requirements.
The American Consul at Mukden has been recently informed upon good
authority that the police have received orders from Hsinking to
treat Americans more severely.
The American Consul at Dairen has received a report from a reliable
source that the local police have declared that “no Americans or
British are going to leave Dairen with anything more than the
clothes on their backs.” It therefore appears obvious that the
actions and decisions of the local authorities are not determined by
the regulations or on the basis of reciprocal treatment of
nationals, despite the recent improvements in certain aspects of the
situation.
Travel:
Travel for American nationals has been made very difficult and in
some cases Americans have been prevented from leaving their cities
or towns of residence. As a result of restrictions placed upon
certain consuls at Mukden our consul there reports that he would be
required to obtain a permit even to visit the suburbs of the city.
In at least four instances Americans living in Japan have been
refused permission to proceed from their places of residence to Kobe
from which port they intended to depart for the United States. In
one case an American at Hiroshima who had informed the local
authorities in advance of his intention to proceed by train to Kobe,
and who boarded the train without objection after being interviewed
by three officials, was removed from the train at Kure and forced to
return to Hiroshima. Americans traveling between Tokyo, Yokohama,
and Kobe have been required to obtain police permits for the
journey. Reports from Manchuria indicate that Americans are
permitted to travel on the railways only three times a month, on the
first, eleventh, and twenty-first. Members of the American Catholic
Mission at Fushun, Manchuria, have reported to the American Consul
at Mukden that they are required to obtain permits to proceed from
one section of the town to another section and that such permits are
obtainable only upon the three days a month above-mentioned.
[Page 917]
Mail Deliveries:
At Tsinan, Canton, Dairen, and many other places American official,
personal, and business mail is subjected to delays amounting in some
instances to one month; evidence is also at hand that official mail
is tampered with.
Picketing and Similar
Interference:
At Tsinan all American properties are picketed and nothing is allowed
to be removed without special permission. Local agents of American
firms have been instructed to discontinue sales and to prepare
inventories of stocks on hand and estimates of the value of American
property. The American Consulate was picketed on July 28, but the
pickets were later withdrawn.
At Tsining the premises of the Southern Baptist and of the American
Presbyterian missions are being picketed and the pickets demanding
to be housed and fed. People are allowed to come and go, but nothing
is allowed to be taken out, and detailed reports are demanded
concerning all visitors. The godown property of the Texas Company
(China) Ltd. is occupied, the firm’s representatives being denied
access.
At Tsingchowfu (Itu) and Chowtsun, the Standard-Vacuum Oil Company’s
installations are sealed by the Japanese gendarmerie.
Police surveillance of the American Consulate at Dairen continues.
Although the police box which was originally set up at the entrance
to the Consulate has been moved across the street, policemen
continue to sit at the entrance and to question visitors.
Tokyo, September 13,
1941.
