693.002/1152: Telegram
The Ambassador in China (Gauss) to the Secretary of State
[Received 1:27 p.m.]
881. Your 663, July 23, 8 a.m. [p.m.]. The law mentioned in my No. 855 is entitled The Public Treasury Law promulgated June 9, 1938. Embassy will endeavor to supply transportation [translation] by airmail. Subject was discussed in despatch No. 2532 of September 15, 1936 [1939] from Consul General at Shanghai to the Department.5
British Ambassador has called on me with Inspector General of Customs regarding this matter. We agreed that any formal or informal representations would be without avail but that we might each take any opportunity that presents from time to time in our conversations with influential members of the Government to express our interest and concern for the continued integrity of the customs service as of outstanding importance to China. We urged Inspector General to continue his efforts to obtain reasonable modification of the application of the law to the customs and have pointed out that the situation does not appear to us to have reached the point where the foreign staff should consider it necessary to ask to be paid off.
I have also informed Currie of the matter and he has promised to take any opportunity that presents to comment on it in his conversations with the Chinese.