893.01 Manchuria/503: Telegram
The Minister in China (Johnson) to the Secretary of State
[Received September 23—10:20 a.m.]
1130. 1. In mail despatch September 2 Consul General [at] Mukden reports that “relations with the de facto régime have been confined to informal personal contacts and occasionally third-person written memoranda submitted to municipal and more rarely to provincial officials. Even these courses have only been resorted to on occasions of urgency or importance.” He states that a request from an American firm to obtain from the several customshouses in his district statistics showing the importation certain goods “has recently been received but before addressing customs authorities at Newchwang and Antung the Legation’s view is desired in regard to appropriateness of asking the new customs officials for this information. It appears to me that requests of this nature might appropriately be made in an informal manner. It has been learned that the present de facto commissioners are unwilling to give out statistics directly to private individuals or firms. It is my opinion that this office could not with propriety address a written communication to any organization of the Central Government at Changchun.”
2. In mail despatch September 3 Myers inquires whether he should reply to an inquiry from Kawasaki, “Director of the Bureau of Information of the Department of Foreign Affairs, Changchun”, asking for [Page 271] certain data concerning his staff including the names, ages, et cetera, and also for information on missionaries in Manchuria. Myers states that the British Consul has replied by private letter which was addressed by name without title. In this reply British Consul furnished information requested concerning British members of his staff but in regard to missionaries made only the general statement that British missionaries, engaged in all kinds of mission work, were to be found in many places in Manchuria. German Consul intends to reply in a similar manner. Myers adds that the inquiry cannot be disregarded in view of the action of his colleagues without directing attention to the attitude of his office, if not causing some resentment on the part of official concerned.
3. The Legation perceives no sufficient objection to Myers’ requesting information in the manner specified as described in paragraph 1 or to Myers’ replying to inquiry mentioned in paragraph 2 in the same manner as that adopted by the British Consul. In existing circumstances the Legation believes that a very great deal of latitude must be allowed the Consulates at Mukden and Harbin if they are to serve American interests effectively. The Legation will be glad to receive from the Department any further instructions on this general subject which the Department may be able to give at this time.