893.70/47: Telegram
The Consul General at Shanghai (Gauss) to the Secretary of State
[Received 5:05 p.m.]
1394. Reference Department’s No. 546, September 22, 6 p.m.,36 regarding Japanese demands on foreign cable companies. Following is reply of Japanese Consul General dated November 2nd to my letter written under authority of Department’s telegram above mentioned:
“I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of October 1st relative to the demands presented by Mr. Higashi, Secretary of the Special Service Section of the Japanese Army, to the Commercial Pacific Cable Company. Electric communication in Central China, formerly administered by the National Government and temporarily put under the control of the Japanese forces after their occupation of this part of China, has been taken over by the Central China Telecommunications Company since August this year when the said company was established under the supervision of the Reformed Government. Mr. Higashi has been negotiating with the foreign cable companies concerning various problems arising from the above circumstances as the representative of the Japanese forces in the administration of electric communication, and his notification to the Commercial Pacific Cable Company is as a matter of course [Page 527] fully endorsed by the Imperial Japanese Government. I am convinced that the Imperial Japanese Government will respect the rights and interests legitimately acquired by the foreign cable companies at Shanghai. It is improper, however, that the company should take advantage of the confusion now prevailing in order to claim more rights than have been formerly granted by the National Government, and Mr. Higashi’s demands regarding the transfer of the acceptance and delivery business and the checking office to the new company and the registration of the telegraphic addresses without warning are fully justified. And I approve also of his demand for the transfer of the terminal rate, inasmuch as it ought to be in the hands of the one who administers the communications business. In conclusion I have the honor to express my sincere hope that the pending matters will be settled satisfactorily by the parties concerned, as well as my firm belief that you will support my views stated above.”
I will submit my views on this matter later after consulting my British and Danish colleagues.
Repeated to Tokyo, Peiping and Chungking.