393.115 Standard Vacuum Oil Co./113: Telegram
The Consul General at Shanghai (Gauss) to the Secretary of State
[Received 6:59 p.m.]
Reference my telegram March 22, 9 a.m., and Embassy’s March 29, 10 a.m.58 The Standard-Vacuum Oil Company now reports that the public welfare fee has been charged by the Ningpo garrison commander against the company’s steamship Meinan retroactively for every trip made by the vessel to Ningpo and that the fee has been paid by the company under protest in order to continue vessel’s operation. The company further reports that the survey fee has not been collected to date but that the Ningpo authorities are awaiting outcome of the protest in the matter of public welfare fee. If the welfare tax is permitted to operate then the survey tax will be enforced next.
[Page 322]I am telegraphing today to the Chairman of the Chekiang provincial government requesting refund to the Standard-Vacuum Oil Company of the irregular welfare tax already collected against the steamship Meinan as well as immediate termination of such illegal imposition on American vessels.
Sent to Chungking. Repeated to Department.
- Latter not printed.↩