693.002/844: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Chargé in China (Peck)
52. Shanghai’s 214, March 16, 5 p.m., to the Department and your 193, March 20, 11 a.m., to the Department in regard to the request of the Inspector General of Customs that representations be made by the American Embassy to the Chinese Ministry of Finance urging that the Chinese Government refrain from issuing mandatory instructions to the Inspector General prohibiting further employment of Japanese.
Department approves reply made by you to French Ambassador and desires that you refrain from making any approach to the Chinese Government in the matter. If, however, an appropriate official of the Chinese Government should bring up the subject, Department suggests that, as upon your own initiative, you informally indicate the interest of the American Government in the maintenance of the administrative integrity of the Chinese Maritime Customs Service and mention the points made by Gauss in paragraph 5 of his telegram under reference, stating that you are confident that the Chinese Government is giving appropriate consideration to those points as well as to all other important factors involved.
Repeated to Peiping and Shanghai.