693.001/361: Telegram
The Consul at Tsingtao (Sokobin) to the Secretary of State
[Received 4:12 p.m.]
1. 1. The American Chamber of Commerce in Tsingtao is forwarding through the Consulate to the Secretary of State a statement dealing with conditions in this city affecting American interests.
2. The statement deals, first, with harbor facilities granted Japanese and denied Americans, second, with import permits granted for certain items in favor of Japanese interests, third, calls attention to the banking situation arising out of circulation of North China Federal Reserve currency, fourth, dwells at some length on the subject of export restrictions dealt with in my despatch No. 224 [234] September 913 and telegrams and cites the fact that Japanese firms continue to ship without restrictions imposed on American firms.
3. Statement then continues with a section on suggested official American action and offers the suggestion that American consular officers might be instructed to refuse certification of consular invoices for commodities which American firms are restricted from exporting. In this connection see telegram of September 24, noon, from the Embassy [at] Chungking and my reply of September 26, 11 a.m.14
4. The statement closes with a request for advice on hypothetical dealings with the presumed occupation of property in which Americans have an interest and with possible coercion of American firm by Japanese interests to force amalgamation of a group of manufacturers into one large Japanese company.
5. Consulate in transmitting the statement will make appropriate comment.13
Repeated to Peiping and Ambassador. By mail to Tokyo.