894.797/31
The Secretary of State to the Chargé in Japan (Dickover)
The Secretary of State encloses a copy of despatch No. 241 dated August 25, 1936, from the American Consul at Yokohama47 in which it is stated that the manager of the Ford assembly plant at Yokohama has reported to the Consul that Japanese officials appear to be applying the recently promulgated Automobile Industry Control Law with even greater discrimination against foreign companies than is provided for in the law itself.
It is desired that the Chargé d’Affaires direct the Consul to keep the Embassy fully informed with regard to developments adversely affecting American automobile interests in the Yokohama Consular District.
The Department would appreciate the receipt from the Embassy of comment with regard to statements made in the despatch under reference of the Consul and an expression of the Embassy’s opinion with regard to the question whether any action in the premises by this Government is called for at the present juncture.48