893.5151 Manchuria/14
Memorandum by the Assistant Chief of the Division of Far Eastern Affairs (Ballantine) of a Conversation With the French Chargé (Henry)
On October 18 Mr. Henry told Mr. Ballantine over the telephone that the French Government had been advised that the “Manchukuo” Government has imposed a prohibition upon the import of all foreign goods other than Japanese goods, except under special permission. Mr. Henry asked whether we had received any such information and whether our Government would be disposed to address an appropriate protest to the Japanese Government in regard thereto on the ground that such prohibition was contrary to the principle of the open door.
Mr. Ballantine said that, so far as he knew, the Department had received no information on this matter from its representatives in Manchuria, but that he would confirm this and expect to communicate with Mr. Henry later.
Later on the same day Mr. Ballantine informed the French Embassy over the telephone of the receipt by the Department of a telegram from our Embassy at Peiping repeating a message from the Consul at Mukden (Peiping’s 668, October 18, noon). Mr. Ballantine informed the Embassy of the substance of the telegram.
[Page 932]On October 19 Mr. Ballantine informed Mr. Henry over the telephone that the Department had telegraphed the Embassy at Peiping to instruct the Consul at Mukden to ask the authorities at Hsinking for confirmation of the facts, and if confirmation of the discriminatory features of the “Manchukuo” exchange control regulations was obtained to call attention to the violation of the pledges given by the “Manchukuo” authorities that the principle of the open door would be respected. Mr. Ballantine said that the Embassy at Tokyo had been instructed to inform the Department whether in its opinion it would be opportune and useful to make representations in Tokyo also.