893.102 Tientsin/342
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Chief of the Division of Far Eastern Affairs (Hamilton)
Mr. Suma, Counselor of the Japanese Embassy, called at his request. He said that yesterday the Japanese Embassy had received a telegram from the Japanese Consul General at Tientsin reporting that special [Page 190] measures were being taken and efforts made to see that American nationals at Tientsin were not interfered with or did not suffer inconvenience. He said that according to the telegram the barbed wire fence had been opened on that section of the Concession boundary which adjoined the quarters of the U. S. Marines in order that there might not be any impediment to free movement of the Marines to and from the Concessions. In this connection I handed Mr. Suma to read Tientsin’s telegram no. 105, June 21, 9 a.m.,77 reporting that the Japanese Consul General had notified the American Consul General that the barbed wire fence at Tientsin would be electrified as from ten o’clock on the evening of June 20.
Mr. Suma said also that according to the Embassy’s telegram from Tientsin the Japanese authorities there were taking special measures to facilitate the movement of cargo of American exporters and importers. In this connection I told Mr. Suma that the press today had reports that the American Chamber of Commerce at Tientsin had presented a list of complaints to the American Consul General and that the American Consul General had communicated the Chamber’s statement to the Japanese Consul General. I said that we had received a report giving the salient portions of the statement of the American Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Suma asked whether the statement gave particulars as to the basis of the Chamber’s complaint. I replied in the affirmative and gave Mr. Suma to read a copy of Tientsin’s telegram no. 104, June 20, 6 p.m. Mr. Suma read the telegram carefully. He then asked whether he might have a copy of it. I replied that according to our reports a copy had been sent to the Japanese Consul General at Tientsin and was therefore available to the Japanese Government. Mr. Suma said that the statement of the American Chamber of Commerce at Tientsin and the report of the Japanese Consul General were not in agreement and that the Embassy here would wish to despatch telegraphic inquiry in regard to the matter.
I told Mr. Suma that the attitude of this Government with regard to the situation at Tientsin was indicated in the Secretary’s public statement of June 1978 and that the basis and nature of this Government’s concern were set forth in that statement.