893.24/1116
The American Embassy in Japan to the Japanese Ministry for Foreign Affairs
The American Embassy presents its compliments to the Imperial Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and has the honor to refer to the American Ambassador’s note to the Imperial Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs, No. 1812 of June 3, 1941, and to the Ambassador’s remarks to His Excellency the Minister on June 5, concerning the seizure at Haiphong, French Indo-China, of American-owned merchandise by Japanese military forces.
According to information recently received from the American Consul at Hanoi, who visited Haiphong in connection with the seizure, accurate information concerning the amount of cargo seized is not available because the owners thereof are prevented by the Japanese military from inspecting the docks and warehouses where operations are going on. The representatives of the various American companies at Haiphong were accordingly unable to ascertain exactly the amount and nature of their transit cargo which had been seized, although they knew that a certain amount had been taken away.
The American Consul at Hanoi further stated that the Japanese Military Mission at Haiphong had been supplied, through a French liaison officer, with lists of cargoes which were American-owned or in which there was an American interest.
In transmitting the above information to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the American Embassy has the honor to reiterate the request contained in the American Ambassador’s note mentioned above, that immediate steps be taken to return the seized American cargoes to those companies which have titles thereto.