394.1115/87b: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Japan (Grew)
582. For your information and for possible use in conversations which you may have with the Foreign Office looking to facilitating the departure from Japan of Americans desiring to leave, the following account of current and recent departures of Japanese from the United States and its possessions is given:
Among the passengers booked in New York (there may be more booked in San Francisco) on the President Taylor sailing from San Francisco September 9 are 10 Japanese bankers and businessmen and 13 Japanese officials who accompanied Mr. Matsuoka38 to Europe returning from Berlin. No obstacle of any kind was placed in the way of releasing funds for payment of passage of these persons and upon departure they will be given every consideration compatible with freezing control requirements.
Between July 26 and August 31 864 Japanese sailed from Manila, chiefly on the steamships Marechal Joffre, Khai Dhin and D’Artagnan. In the case of the first two ships the examination of Japanese passengers was conducted on board; in the case of the third ship on the pier. At such examinations no search, so far as known, of any person took place, wallets and some of the baggage only having been examined. In no instance was money impounded, but a few Japanese Government loan certificates and stock certificates in Japanese insurance companies were taken up. These certificates are now being held in the High Commissioner’s office awaiting delivery to a local bank pursuant to a Treasury Department ruling. The Japanese passengers on the three ships were courteously treated and Domei representative’s report of improper treatment is without truth. The Japanese Consul General at Manila states that he has received no report of ill treatment of departing Japanese. The three vessels suffered no difficulties or inconvenience as a result of the examination, except that the first two named were unavoidably delayed 5 or 6 hours because of the large number of persons to be examined.
Sent to Tokyo via Shanghai. Repeated to Chungking and Peiping.
- Yosuke Matsuoka, Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs until July 16, who visited Europe in March and April; he was succeeded by Admiral Teijiro Toyoda.↩