Foreign Relations of the United States Diplomatic Papers, 1941, The Far East, Volume V

393.115/1198: Telegram

The Consul at Chefoo (Roberts) to the Secretary of State

Chefoo, October 9, 1941—9 a.m.
[Received October 10—12:16 p.m.]

Reference is made to the Embassy’s telegram of October 7, 6 p.m., repeating Tokyo’s number 1577, October 7, 10 a.m. to Department³⁷ concerning Japanese interference with American firms here.

1. Measures were not protective in any way and can be considered only a use of duress to obtain information about assets of American concerns.

2. Managers of American firms deny that there was any advance understanding and claim that their first knowledge of measures came when police under Japanese orders descended upon them and stopped all communications with outside.

3. Guards have now been removed from offices but are still maintained over warehouses belonging to Standard-Vacuum Oil Company and Texas Company to prevent removal of oil stocks.

4. American businessmen were detained incommunicado in their business premises several hours until the Japanese authorities finished.

Roberts

37. Foreign Relations, Japan, 1931–1941, Vol. i, p. 921.