793.94/16673½: Telegram
The Consul General at Shanghai (Lockhart) to the Secretary of State
[Received June 12—10:15 a.m.]
679. Shanghai’s 389, May 4, 4 p.m., 1940,4 regarding passage of President Lines vessels through Nantao boom. During the past 12 months this office has made repeated oral and written representations to the Japanese Consulate General here regarding this matter. The Japanese naval authorities have taken the position that the channel through the boom is not sufficiently wide or deep to permit the passage of American President liners. Actually this is not the case because officials of the American President Lines and Conservancy [Board state it?] is large enough to allow passage of American liners without danger. For several months the Japanese naval authorities have reiterated their intention to widen and deepen the channel, but this work has not been undertaken and it has become increasingly clear that they have no intention of permitting American President liners to pass through the boom. This is a further instance of the complete disregard displayed by the Japanese authorities of American rights and interests.
Sent to the Department, repeated to Chungking and Peiping, by airmail to Tokyo.
- Not printed.↩