893.801/6–2149: Telegram

The Consul at Taipei ( Edgar ) to the Secretary of State

245. Following just received from local Foreign Affairs Commissioner:

“With reference to your inquiry as whether US ships may clear the Customs for Shanghai en route to US, we wish to inform you that, according to the regulations in force, no ships, Chinese or foreign, may clear the Customs for such ports as Tientsin, Tsingtao and Shanghai. As to foreign ships intending to go to Shanghai en route to foreign ports, the Maritime Customs Office can only clear them for the foreign ports direct, except in cases in which the Customs Office has been instructed by the Provincial Government to give special permission.”

Sent Department 245, repeated OffEmb Canton 93, Nanking 167, Shanghai 183.

Edgar