893.102 Kulangsu/167: Telegram

The Consul at Amoy (MacVitty) to the Secretary of State

50. In reply to the Department’s No. 17, June 7, 7 p.m.

1.
In all negotiations I have endeavored to follow instructions contained in Department’s 13, May 18, 5 p.m., and 15, May 20. I have conferred with my colleagues and the Chairman of the Municipal [Page 123] Council daily and my suggestions have always been made with a view to an amicable settlement, the difficulty has been entirely owing to the Japanese agreeing to one thing one day and demanding more the next.
2.
The Municipal Council has already informed the Japanese that it is willing and anxious to do everything in its power to suppress all subversive activities and the municipal police are working in full cooperation with the Japanese consular police. In this connection it must be stated that there has been no evidence of subversive activities in the Settlement since the landing of foreign sailors.
3.
The Japanese demand for an inspector was in addition to the sub-inspector already employed, they refused the offer to promote the sub-inspector to the rank of inspector.
4.
The Chinese members of the Council have in the past been nominated by the Mayor of Amoy, he is now located in the village of Halting on the mainland adjacent to Kulangsu. These seats have been vacant since the occupation of Amoy. The fact that, from the beginning of Sino-Japanese hostilities until the occupation of Amoy, the Japanese seats on the Council were left vacant and the Council fully protected Japanese and Formosan property has been pointed out repeatedly to the Japanese. The Municipal Council feels that the acceptance of Chinese members appointed by the puppet government would mean recognition of it and I am certain that my British and French colleagues would never agree to suggesting any such action as their instructions are very positive on this subject. It must be that up to the incident which the Japanese used as an excuse for landing, there were no complaints of anti-Japanese activities and that Japanese civilians were and are living in the Settlement in perfect safety and that the only trouble was the difficulty between the Formosan gangs employed and protected by the Japanese Consulate General and Navy.

Transmitted to Embassy at Peiping, Chungking, Consul General at Shanghai.

MacVitty