893.156 CH/226: Telegram
The First Secretary of Embassy in China (Salisbury) to the Secretary of State
[Received September 9—8 a.m.]
551. 1. At the suggestion of the Consul General at Shanghai this office asked Chefoo to investigate reported attempt to place Chefoo Harbor Commission under Provisional Government authority. The following is Chefoo’s reply:
“September 3, 2 p.m. Referring to the Embassy’s telegram of September 1, I learn quite confidentially from a reliable source the Japanese Consul at Chefoo has been discreetly approaching certain members of the Chefoo Harbor Improvement Commission seeking a means of placing the Harbor Commission under the puppet mayor of Chefoo. Their efforts already dominate the Chefoo Harbor Commission controlling the votes of the Superintendent of Customs, the Acting Commissioner Customs, the representative of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce and the Japanese Consul. The consular body at Chefoo would [not?] oppose the Japanese move to place the Commission under the puppet municipal authorities at Chefoo unless the diplomatic representatives of Norway, Netherlands, Finland and Italy instruct their Consuls to vote against the Japanese.”
2. We suggest instructing Chefoo as follows: [Page 739]
“The Chefoo Harbor Commission was created in 1913 by the diplomatic body at Peiping and the Chinese Foreign Office and any proposed change in its status must properly be agreed upon by the powers concerned. Thus the question of placing the Commission under the mayor’s office does not fall within the competence of the Commission. The activities of the Japanese Consul, who is the consular representative on the Commission, would seem to be irregular unless undertaken at the instance of the consular body acting under instructions of the interested diplomatic representatives. Please consult your interested colleagues and ascertain what action, if any, they propose taking in the matter.”
Please instruct.