Office of the Historian

893.61331/246: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the First Secretary of Embassy in China (Smyth), at Peiping

Washington, January 4, 1941—5 p.m.

4. Tsingtao’s 152, December 30, 5 p.m.88 Universal Leaf Tobacco Company. The Department desires that, unless you perceive objection, you take up through the Japanese Embassy at Peiping the matter of Japanese interference with the activities of the Universal Leaf Tobacco Company, carefully avoiding, however, any reference to “allotments” or to any agreement which the Universal Leaf Tobacco Company may have made with the Japanese authorities in derogation of the company’s rights as an American firm to conduct its business in China.89

Sent to Peiping. Repeated to Chungking, Shanghai, Tsingtao. Peiping please repeat to Tokyo.

Hull
  1. Not printed.↩
  2. In telegram No. 13, January 7, 3 p.m., the Embassy at Peiping reported its representations to the Japanese Embassy on January 7 (803.61331/250).↩