393.115 Hunt and Company, William/112: Telegram
The Consul General at Canton (Myers) to the Secretary of State
[Received 11:14 p.m.]
83. Reference my 77, December 10, 6 p.m., and Shanghai’s December 12, 3 p.m.,57 G. M. Rosse, representative of Hunt and Company who is now in Canton, has received instructions from Hunt that “as a public warehouse company we will be held responsible for the safety of all cargoes within our warehouse and we cannot admit right to entry by Japanese or interest in cargoes or information as to details thereof”.
On the evening of December 14 the Japanese Vice Consul called at this office, stated that the Japanese naval authorities had just received a cargo of rice for which they lacked storage facilities and that they therefore proposed to open one of the empty godowns of the China Merchants Company early this morning and to store the rice therein. The Vice Consul stated that the Japanese would like to have a representative of this office or of the American Navy present at the godown to witness the action. He was informed that since the Japanese authorities had decided to occupy the godown the Consulate General perceived no necessity for any American witness; that regardless of such occupation the status of the properties would remain the same as heretofore and that the Consul General neither denied nor admitted the existence of an interest on the part of Hunt and Company in any or all of the properties in question.
Mr. Rosse was told December 14 of the proposed action by the Japanese and indicated that he would not then take any steps in the matter. Mr. Rosse has today requested me in writing to protest to the Japanese against the occupation of godown and against the right of the Japanese to seize any of the property or to move any of the contents from godowns. In the light of the Department’s 291, November 11, noon, to Chungking and 627, November 22, 7 p.m., to Shanghai, I informed Mr. Rosse that the Consul General was not in position to take action as requested.
The possibility of the Japanese withdrawing their guards from the property now appears remote.
Repeated to Chungking, Shanghai.
- Neither printed.↩