893.24/1090: Telegram
The Consul at Hanoi (Reed) to the Secretary of State
[Received June 25—10:37 a.m.]
85. The Chief of the Military Cabinet estimates that the Japanese military authorities have seized up to date approximately 40,000 tons of transit cargo at Haiphong. He states further that the Japanese military authorities have requested detailed lists of the transit cargoes stored at Hanoi but that the Indochina authorities have refused so far to supply the lists. He adds that it is not improbable that the Japanese military authorities will forcibly enter bonded warehouses at Hanoi and seize at least a part of transit cargoes stored therein.
The seizures are continuing and the Japanese operations are extending to all bonded warehouses at Haiphong. American, British, Chinese, and French owned transit cargo has been and is being seized in addition to transit cargoes of the United States Far Eastern Trading Corporation and the North American Syndicate. The Japanese military authorities still refuse to permit a check of their [transit cargo by representatives of American companies?] and it is impossible to say how much American owned transit cargo has been seized but it appears definite that a [certain] part of transit cargoes owned by the companies mentioned in my telegram 83, June 10, 4 p.m.,61 has been taken.
[Page 190]The Chief of the Military Cabinet states that he has informed repeatedly General Sumita that transit cargo either American owned or in which there is an American interest has been and continues to be seized by the Japanese military authorities. The latter is understood to have replied that there is no convincing proof of such American ownership or interest but that if such proof is forthcoming there will be no further seizures or there will be reimbursement for seized American property. My informant believes that General Sumita is raising the question of sufficient proof merely to delay matters and to enable the Japanese to finish their seizures.
Sent to Cavite for repetition to the Department; Chungking, Peiping, Hong Kong; Shanghai please repeat to Tokyo.
- Not printed↩