893.102 Tientsin/529: Telegram
The Consul General at Tientsin (Caldwell) to the Secretary of State
[Received 7:30 p.m.]
278. My 277, November 22, 6 p.m. Separate arrangements have now been made by the authorities of the British and French Concessions with the Japanese military for the winter’s supply of coal of the two Concessions from November 27th. An additional temporary supply has been permitted to enter the British Concession today and will partially alleviate the already desperate position of many persons, large numbers of whom have been without heat for more than a week with temperatures near the freezing point.
An additional 32 of the passes for alien employees of American firms referred to in my 268, November 4, 2 p.m., have now been received. The Japanese Consul General stated in the transmitting letter: “In order to maintain the efficacy of these certificates the number issued should be limited as much as possible” and he orally expressed the hope in conversation with me that this number of passes would be sufficient temporarily; in reply to which I reminded him that additional applications had already been received and that further passes would have to be requested, but that the number would be kept as low as possible consistent with the urgent needs of American firms.
In response to my request for an appointment to discuss with the Japanese Consul General the coal situation and other barrier difficulties, he called on me yesterday afternoon and expressed his regret for the inconveniences caused Americans by the barrier system and gave me assurances that he and also General Homma wished to remove these difficulties as far as possible consistent with the maintenance of the barrier system, which must remain in effect until an agreement is reached between the British and Japanese authorities concerning the silver question. The Japanese Consul General stated that both he and General Homma disapprove of interference with the entrance into the British Concession of such essential commodities as coal and food, but that certain of the Japanese military (presumably the Japanese Army’s special service section) were so intent upon the prosecution of their military campaign that it was difficult to persuade them to agree with this point of view.
I discussed with the Japanese Consul General the greatly increased difficulties encountered during the past few weeks by Americans and American-owned cargo in passing the barriers and have sent him a letter in regard to these difficulties, citing specific instances, which he had promised to investigate immediately and to endeavor to remove.
The Japanese Consul General also informed me that the Japanese military have been persuaded to open within a few days additional [Page 254] barriers and to improve the barrier arrangements at the International Bridge with a view to relieving the present congestion at that point.
Repeated to Peiping, Shanghai; air mail to Tokyo.