893.76/25
The Secretary of State to the Minister in China ( Johnson )
Sir: Reference is made to the Legation’s despatch No. 2792, of June 21, 1934,62 in regard to Chinese regulations for the registration of radio receiving sets, the text of which the Legation had received from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, under date of May 29, 1934, with a request that American nationals comply therewith.
[Page 629]It is noted that the Legation, in view of the apparently innocuous character of the regulations, was not disposed to raise objection to the voluntary registration thereunder of American owned receiving sets. Accordingly, the Legation circularized consular officers in China authorizing them to inform American inquirers in regard to the matter that no objection would be raised to their voluntary compliance with the regulations but that they should bear in mind that the information given the Chinese authorities in connection with registrations might later be used as a basis for future taxation.
The despatch under reference closes with a statement that the British authorities in China are following a similar course of procedure and that the American and the British Legations are not, for the present, replying to the note from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Department perceives no objection to the course of procedure adopted by the Legation and, unless the Legation has some reason to believe otherwise, feels that no reply need be made to the note received from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in regard to this matter.
Very truly yours,
- Not printed.↩