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Memorandum of Conversation, by the Acting Secretary of State
The Japanese Ambassador called to see me this afternoon at his urgent request.
The Ambassador said that he was informed by the Nippon Yusen Kaisha, the owner of the steamship Tatuta Maru now in San Francisco, that the only way in which the vessel could clear from San Francisco promptly because of the libels and attachments against the vessel and its cargo was for a bond to be placed by the shipping company to cover the amount represented in these attachments. The Ambassador asked if I would be good enough to assist in the matter.
I said to the Ambassador that 48 hours ago through Mr. Acheson I had requested that the Treasury Department make available from the blocked funds an amount sufficient to make it possible to post bond, should that be possible, in order to permit this vessel to clear. I said that I felt sure, therefore, that the Treasury Department would take action immediately in this sense as soon as it was requested to do so.
The Ambassador expressed great appreciation.