893.102 Kulangsu/201: Telegram
The Consul General at Shanghai (Gauss) to the Secretary of State
[Received July 15—6:30 a.m.]
Morishima, Counselor of the Japanese Embassy, called on me this afternoon in the absence of any American diplomatic representative here, and asked that I urge you to give support to a settlement of the Kulangsu situation along the following lines which had been proposed by the Japanese Consul General at Amoy to his colleagues:
- (1)
- Council to agree to the appointment of a Japanese inspector of police;
- (2)
- Upon such agreement being reached, the situation to be restored to the “status before May 11th”;
- (3)
- Following such restoration to the condition existing “before May 11th”, the Council [to] proceed within a week or 10 days to make the appointment of the Japanese police inspector.
I told Morishima that I would report to you what he had said but added that it was my understanding that the Municipal Council at Kulangsu is not in a position because of lack of funds to agree to the appointment of a Japanese inspector of police and the matter would have to go before a ratepayers meeting.
At the time of this conversation I had not yet received the decoded text of Amoy’s number 75, July 13, 6 p.m., from which it would seem to me that the opportunity is now offered the Japanese to submit the question of the Japanese police inspector to a special ratepayers meeting.
Sent to Chungking, repeated to Peiping and Amoy.
By airmail to Tokyo.