811.7194/12
Memorandum of Conversations, by the Assistant Chief of the Division of Far Eastern Affairs (Atcheson)76
Mr. Iguchi telephoned this morning and stated that his Embassy had received a cable from the Japanese Consulate General at Honolulu to the effect that United States postal authorities there had received orders not to permit mails scheduled for the Taiyo Maru to be sent on that vessel which was due to depart for Japan November 4. Mr. Iguchi inquired as to the purpose of such orders and requested appropriate information in the premises. Mr. Atcheson stated that he would look into the matter and let Mr. Iguchi know. Mr. Iguchi stated that he would be absent from the Embassy for a period and upon his return he would telephone to Mr. Atcheson again.
Mr. Atcheson subsequently learned from Mr. Keating of IN77 that the mails which were being withheld from the Taiyo Maru were first-class mails only; that this action was taken in accordance with the procedure worked out whereunder first-class mails for the Far East would pass through British territory to be censored; and that second-and third-class mails would go forward on the Taiyo Maru.
Mr. Iguchi later telephoned to Mr. Atcheson again. Mr. Atcheson stated that he had made inquiries in regard to this matter; that as Mr. Iguchi knew, wartime conditions and shortage of ships and [Page 901] changes in shipping schedules had recently caused delays in the forwarding of mails and alterations in the procedures followed in the forwarding of mails; that he understood that the Post Office Department was undertaking the formulation of new procedures for the forwarding of mails and it appeared that while second-and third-class mails would be sent on the Taiyo Mara, the first-class were of a category falling within the new general procedure. Mr. Iguchi said that he had assumed that something of the sort was the case and he inquired whether it would be all right for his Embassy to cable the Consulate General at Honolulu to have the Taiyo Maru sail therefrom on schedule without the first-class mails in question. Mr. Atcheson stated that this would seem to be appropriate as the postal authorities would not, of course, wish to delay the vessel’s departure. Mr. Iguchi said that he would send a message to the Japanese Consul General at Honolulu and would have the vessel sail on time.