393.115/12–745: Telegram
The Consul General at Tientsin (Myers) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 9—1:14 a.m.]
26. [To Embassy:] Following our conversations with Mayor and Director [of] Foreign Affairs Department, Tientsin Municipal Government, Mayor authorized “accommodating procedure” whereby American properties, upon presentation of each case to Mayor’s property committee by this Consulate General, might be temporarily turned over to their owners together with movable property found in them after an inventory has been made and checked by American and Chinese authorities, each to keep a copy of inventory. This arrangement, however, did not permit American firms to dispose of abandoned Japanese property found in their premises, even when similar to property confiscated by the Japanese. Last night Director of the Foreign Affairs Department, Tientsin Municipal Government, told Hinke56 that [Executive] Yuan order just received requires local authorities to take over all abandoned Japanese property, including that found on American premises irrespective of nature of property. This apparently cancels understanding reached between Embassy and Chinese Foreign Minister permitting American firms to obtain possession of goods identic with or similar to those on premises when taken over by the Japanese as well as terminates cooperative efforts municipal authorities to solve thorny movable property problem.
With reference to my telegram No. 24 of December 4, Chinese military occupants of Karagheusian property reportedly informed director [of] Foreign Affairs Department, Tientsin Municipal Government, yesterday they would permit company to inventory contents of premises provided he would guarantee leasing of property to them. Meanwhile, Chinese woolen mills in Tientsin are not being required [to] work on Chinese military contracts allegedly because “they are private Chinese property”.
Furthermore, War Transportation Board has seized Japanese motor car parts stored on premises of Frazar Federal, Incorporated, despite understanding with municipal officials to avoid such occurrences. In [Page 1417] both cases Consulate General has requested return of goods taken pending settlement of question at issue in Chungking.
Sent to Chungking, repeated to Dept, true readings by airmail to Peiping and Shanghai.
- Frederick W. Hinke, Second Secretary of Embassy in China and Consul on detail at Tientsin.↩