611.939/59: Telegram
The Counselor of Embassy in China (Lockhart) to the Secretary of State
[Received November 15—7 a.m.]
679. Embassy’s 658, November 3, 4 p.m.27 Tientsin despatch of November 5 states that the British and French Consuls report [Page 86] having made representations both locally and to their home Governments regarding the wool embargo and that the German Consulate protested to the Japanese Consulate at Tientsin, and that the German Embassies at Peiping and Tokyo had lodged protests with the Japanese Government.
A Japanese official at a consular body meeting at Tientsin expressed the confidential view that modification of the wool embargo, which was imposed at the instigation of the military, was unlikely but he stated that efforts to permit the export of wool already contracted for were being made. It is known that the German Counselor at Peiping in orally discussing this matter with an official of the Japanese Embassy threatened to recommend to his Government that shipments of certain much needed machinery on order in Germany for export to Japan be withheld until the embargo is canceled.
Copies of Tientsin’s despatch have been forwarded to Tokyo and other interested offices and will be repeated to the Department.28
By mail to Tientsin and Tokyo.