893.102 Kulangsu/151: Telegram
The Consul at Amoy (MacVitty) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 25—8 a.m.]
38. The conference this morning between naval officers of America, Great Britain, and France, with Japanese Vice Admiral terminated without any progress being made as to the withdrawal of naval forces from the Settlement. However, the Japanese did intimate that no withdrawal of their marines would take place until the Municipal Council agrees to the appointment of three Chinese members by the Chairman of the Peace Maintenance Committee in Amoy. Should the above be agreed to by the Council it would be tantamount to giving the Japanese five seats as compared with the combined American, British and Dutch representation of one each, thus placing the International Settlement in complete control of the Japanese. This demand, of course, could not be met without violating the land regulations.
[Page 117]The Japanese blockade between the mainland and Kulangsu while scheduled to commence this evening was already in force this morning and permits have been refused the Standard-Vacuum Oil Company to ship from their installation to interior points. On account of the possible effect of the blockade, the tension here has increased and the hope of a satisfactory solution being concluded by local negotiation is still uncertain.
Repeated to Peiping, Chungking, Shanghai.