393.115 Hunt and Company, William/76: Telegram
The Consul General at Canton (Linnell) to the Secretary of State
[Received November 5—11:35 a.m.]
47. Reference is made to telegraphic correspondence between the Department and the Embassy concerning the status of the property of China Merchants [Steam] Navigation Company which William Hunt and Company now claims to own or control. Today when commander of South China Patrol was discussing with Rear Admiral Sugikara the questions of sending a vessel flying the American flag to Hong Kong, the admiral brought up the question of the right of William Hunt and Company to fly the American flag over the property of China Merchants Navigation Company. As reported in my telegram March 29, 4 p.m.,37 the flag has been placed by William Hunt and Company on a wharf and warehouse property of China Merchants Navigation Company at Pakhoktung.
The admiral said that the Japanese Navy considered that William Hunt and Company had no rights to display the American flag over those properties and intimated that the Japanese Navy was considering taking the properties over.
Instructions are requested in the premises.
Repeated to Peiping, Chungking, Hong Kong, Shanghai.
- Not printed.↩