693.002 Manchuria/12: Telegram
The Consul at Geneva (Gilbert) to the Secretary of State
[Received March 18—12:35 p.m.]
126. Consulate’s 113, March 11, 9 a.m., and Department’s to Wilson, 43.6
The Secretary General has circulated the following communication dated March 16 received from Sato relative to the Customs Administration at Antung.
“Referring to the communication of the Chinese delegate concerning a telegram from T. V. Soong, Minister of Finance, with regard to the customs at Antung, I have the honor to inform you that our Consul in that town informed Mr. R. M. Talbot, Customs Commissioner, of the contents of the Chinese communication and that the latter has replied to the following effect:
- 1.
- That he has been officially informed by the Superintendent of the arrival of a Japanese adviser;
- 2.
- That paragraph 1 of the Chinese communication is incorrect;
- 3.
- That the last part of paragraph 2 concerning the declarations of the Consul is also incorrect;
- 4.
- That he, Mr. Talbot, in his telegram to Inspector General Maze had expressed a personal opinion and had reported current rumors but that he had certainly not attributed to the Japanese Consul the statements which Mr. Soong’s telegram alleged him to have made. He, Mr. Talbot, had sent a telegram to Mr. Maze contradicting this information and asking him to rectify it.”