861.77/2593: Telegram
The President of the Technical Board (Stevens) to the Secretary of State
[Received 10:50 p.m.]
Chinese Government should be strongly urged to order at once the suspension of agreement just made between the South Manchuria and the Chinese Eastern Railways regarding tariff rates. Japanese interests by this agreement obtain the control and marketing of the entire North Manchuria soya bean crop. This is detrimental to the Chinese Eastern Railway and, what is still worse, completely violates the policy of the “open door” as accepted at the Washington Conference. There is no time to lose as the agreement is announced as effective tomorrow. Agreement to advance large sum in cash to Chinese Eastern Railway July 1 accomplished this arrangement. Technical Board will give widest press publicity to this affair unless proceedings are terminated.
Tokyo [and Peking?] informed.