393.115/11–1245

The Consul at Tientsin (Meyer) to the Secretary of State

No. 2

Sir: I have the honor to refer to my telegrams No. 14 of November 4, and No. 15 of November 4, 4 p.m. concerning the war booty question, addressed to the American Embassy at Chungking and repeated to the Department for its information, and to submit herewith as Enclosure No. 147 a translation prepared by the United States Information Service of the text of the “Regulations for the Disposal of Private Japanese Properties”, as published on November 7, 1945 in the Min Kuo Jih Pao, a Tientsin vernacular newspaper.

In view of the nature of these Regulations, I addressed a letter to General Chiang Shih-yi, Chief of the Commission for Taking Over Japanese Industrial Properties in Tientsin, claiming on behalf of American owners the Japanese property found on their premises, to be used as an offset to their claims against the Japanese Government. Simultaneously, I forwarded a copy of this letter to the Mayor in which I reminded him of our previous conversation, and reiterated my request for assurances that the interests of American firms in Tientsin would be given appropriate consideration along the lines I had discussed with him. Copies of these letters are attached as Enclosure Nos. 2 and 3.48

A copy of a letter dated November 8, 1945 from Dr. H. Dawid, the representative of the J. E. Hayes Engineering Company, Fed. Inc., U.S.A., appointed by this office for the re-possession of its property, is attached as Enclosure No. 447 to illustrate the difficult position of American firms due to Chinese insistence upon the operation of Japanese industrial plants found on American premises. This communication furnished the bases for the first paragraph of my Telegram to the Embassy No. 18 of November 9, 12 noon [2 p.m.]47

In the absence of a solution to the “war booty” question, the Consulate General considers it inadvisable to take up the questions presented in the enclosed letter either with the Mayor or with the Commanding General of the 11th War Zone.

I shall continue to keep the Department and the Embassy in Chungking fully informed of developments relating to this subject.

Respectfully yours,

Paul W. Meyer
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