793.94112/633: Telegram
The Chargé in the United Kingdom (Johnson) to the Secretary of State
[Received September 11—8:25 a.m.]
592. My 590, September 10, 6 p.m. Following is text of a notice sent yesterday by the Board of Trade to the Chamber of Shipping, Liverpool Steamship Owners Association and Lloyds relating to verification of identity of British ships trading with China. The text was received through the courtesy of the Foreign Office.
“The Japanese naval authorities have declared closed to Chinese shipping the whole Chinese coast from Chinwangtao to Pakoi, with the exception of the ports in leased territories and the port of Tsingtao; and the Japanese Government have stated that as there have been Chinese ships flying foreign flags, in order to avoid the application of the declaration, they are faced with the necessity of inspecting ships which they suspect of adopting this course, in order to identify their nationality.
In this connection masters of British ships in the Far East, bound for Chinese ports are advised that, if they are requested to stop by a Japanese warship and if none of His Majesty’s ships is present, they should allow the Japanese naval officers to board the ship and examine the certificate of registry. It is understood that the Japanese warships will simultaneously make an immediate report to the British naval authorities in the area, and the report should also be sent immediately to those authorities by the master of the British ship concerned.
Should a British naval vessel be present, the verification of the identity of the British merchant vessel will, at the request of the Japanese warship, be undertaken by the British vessel.”