611.94231/44
Memorandum by the Chief of the Division of Far Eastern Affairs (Hamilton)
I telephoned Mr. Iguchi of the Japanese Embassy and, referring to his call yesterday and the questions he then raised in regard to cargo aboard the Tatuta Maru, told him I wished, under instruction, to supplement information communicated by Mr. Welles to the Ambassador this morning when the Ambassador raised the question of the treatment of cargo on board Japanese vessels. I referred to the fact that Mr. Welles had informed the Ambassador that no assurances could be given in regard to whether funds would be [Page 270] released or would not be released to cover any cargo landed from such ships and that applications for licenses would be given appropriate consideration if and as they were individually presented. I said that we understood that the Treasury Department was making arrangements whereby Japanese ships, if they did not wish to discharge their cargo, would be granted clearances and permitted to sail with cargo aboard. I told Mr. Iguchi that I understood that the Treasury Department was communicating information to the foregoing effect to the agents or owners of the Japanese steamship companies in this country.
Mr. Iguchi thanked me for communicating the foregoing information to him and said that he would bring it to the attention of the Ambassador.
Later, following conference with Mr. Acheson61 and conference by Mr. Acheson with Mr. Foley of the Treasury Department, I telephoned Mr. Iguchi and told him that I wished to give him further information on two points: I said that the first point was that the provision to the effect that Japanese ships could, if they desired, enter American ports and leave without discharging cargoes applies only to Japanese ships coming in before next Saturday (August 2), midnight. I explained that ships coming in before that date and desiring to leave without discharging cargoes would be given a reasonable time to leave. I said that the second point was that if a Japanese ship’s manifest showed that cargo aboard the ship was destined to an American port and the ship did not wish to discharge that cargo upon arrival at an American port, the ship should correct the manifest at sea to show that no cargo was destined for discharge at an American port. I told Mr. Iguchi also that if the Japanese Embassy wished further particulars on and clarification of these matters, an officer of the Embassy might care to get in touch with the Commissioner of Customs at the Treasury Department.
I went over the foregoing twice with Mr. Iguchi and he said that he understood.
- Dean Acheson, Assistant Secretary of State.↩