693.94244/31: Telegram
The Ambassador in Japan (Grew) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 27—9:25 a.m.]
114. Department’s 64, May 26, 1 p.m. The Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs97 in informal conversation today stated that the chief of the Eastern Asia Bureau of the Foreign Office would visit Manchuria and North China reaching the East Hopei region about June 15 and would be instructed to make a full report on the smuggling situation. Preceding him by about 10 days a new Japanese Consul is being assigned to Tientsin with instructions to familiarize himself in regard to conditions in Hopei and to collect data for the use of the chief of the East Asia Bureau upon the latter’s arrival. The Vice Minister said that he would be glad to keep the Embassy currently informed and asked if the Embassy had any data in its possession indicating that specific items of American trade were suffering from the smuggling. He was informed that while information of this character was not at present available to this Embassy the American Embassy was interested in the general situation and would welcome any data that the Japanese Government could furnish.
Repeated to Peiping by mail.
- Kensuke Horinouchi.↩