893.102 Kulangsu/289: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Japan (Grew)
39. Amoy’s 4, January 27, noon,80 situation at Kulangsu. From the wording of the Japanese Consul General’s letter to the Municipal Council of January 15 as quoted in section 2 of Amoy’s telegram under reference it would not appear that the request made therein could be construed as a “demand”. However, in the light of the fact that the Japanese naval authorities reinstituted a blockade of shipping between Kulangsu and the mainland, it seems clear that the Japanese authorities employed, in connection with the presentation of the Consul General’s letter, substantially the same tactics of coercion as were employed prior to the agreement of October 16 [17], 1939. It also seems clear that the employment of these tactics in connection with the making of a request seeking to bring to issue a matter covered by the agreement of October 16 [17], was in violation both of the spirit and the letter of that agreement (see Department’s 19, January 18, 7 p.m., to Peiping81). [Page 837] The Department is accordingly of the opinion that you should, unless you perceive substantial objection, call at the Foreign Office and make known orally and informally this point of view and express our surprise that the local Japanese authorities at Amoy should have taken the action in question.
Sent to Tokyo via Peiping. Repeated to Chungking, Shanghai, and Amoy.