793.94/9579: Telegram
The Consul General at Tientsin (Caldwell) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 21—2:15 p.m.]
26. My 22, August 9, 5 p.m. Owing to attitude of the British, French and Italian consular officers, Japanese military have not endeavored to impose censorship within foreign Concessions by force but have been negotiating for a Japanese censorship. At a Consular Corps meeting yesterday afternoon Japanese stated confidentially that Italian Postal Commissioner will resume duties in Third Special Area Central Post Office today for ordinary mail matter and on the 23rd for money orders and parcels; that there will be a Japanese censorship which Postal Commissioner will not resist, accepting it as imposed by force; that conditions previously mentioned by the Japanese (see my telegram en clair August 9, paragraph 4) will be applicable: namely that official mail—diplomatic, consular, and military—will be immune, and that unofficial mail of foreigners will not be censored unless considered suspicious by the military.
British Consul General explained that he had continued to refuse to permit a Japanese censorship in the British Concession or to agree to any joint censorship in the Concession and that he had suggested the removal of the Central Post Office, which has recently been operating in the British Concession, to its previous quarters in the Third Special Area.
In view of present conditions please instruct whether protest should be made to censorship outlined by Japanese and forward above.
In my despatch No. 519, of August 17, to the Embassy, I reported that first class mail in Central Post Office had been opened and [Page 273] partially destroyed while occupied by Japanese military between July 31 and August 3. Yesterday I was informed by Postal Commissioner in reply to my inquiry that, “All parcel mails awaiting delivery and despatch in the head post office building located in the Third Special Area, Tientsin, on the night of the 28th July, 1937 have, since that date, been under detention by the Japanese military authorities who have occupied the place, and that they cannot be delivered or despatched until work is resumed in the head office”. In view of the Japanese’s statement I presume that these parcels will be dealt with from 23rd in which case I will take no further action unless instructed to do so.