893.102S/1643: Telegram
The Consul General at Shanghai (Lochhart) to the Secretary of State
[Received June 3—6:55 p.m.]
771. 1. I have today received from the Japanese Consul General through the Senior Consul a notice that at the instance of the Japanese military authorities the following measures are to be enforced with regard to access to areas under control of the Japanese Army, especially the western parts of Shanghai area and including Hungjao, Nantao and Pootung:
- (1)
- No one except those provided with an inoculation certificate against cholera shall be permitted to enter the above mentioned areas on and after May 31;
- (2)
- The same, however, shall become effective on and after June 7 with the Japanese and the nationals of the third powers as well as the Chinese chauffeurs employed and accompanied by those mentioned below;
- (3)
- Those who are in the diplomatic and consular services as well as their families are requested to carry with them, when entering the above mentioned areas, identity papers issued by the Japanese Consul General which will be sent to them as soon as they are ready, instead of the said inoculation certificate.
2. My British colleague has stated the British Ambassador is disposed to protest the imposition of the regulations and has inquired of me as to whether I would be prepared also to lodge a protest. Inasmuch as efforts are being made by the health authorities of the International Settlement and the French Concession to encourage cholera inoculations I believe that it would be inadvisable to lodge a formal protest, but a strict enforcement of the regulations against foreigners may lead to unpleasant, and perhaps serious, incidents. While not disposed to inform the Japanese Consul General that the regulations cannot be enforced against Americans, I believe it would [Page 339] be well to remind him that a strict application of the regulations will most likely lead to unpleasant occurrences and that it would be advisable to apply the regulations with the least possible friction and annoyance to American nationals. There is a possibility that the regulations have been issued largely to prevent the passage into the areas mentioned of Chinese who have not received cholera inoculation. The Department’s instructions are respectfully requested.
Repeated to Hankow and Peiping.