693.002 Manchuria/31: Telegram
The Minister in China (Johnson) to the Secretary of State
[Received April 1—6:25 a.m.]
396. Following from American Consul General at Harbin:
“March 31, 10 a.m.
1. Local branch of the Bank of China has officially notified the Commissioner of Customs that it has received instructions from the new government at Changchun to hand to the latter’s bank customs revenues collected by the Bank of China and that it must comply with these orders. The Commissioner replied that having received no orders from the Inspector General in this respect, he would hold the Bank of China responsible for any customs moneys wrongfully paid out. He has wired the Inspector General for instructions. He was also informed by the Bank of China that hereafter he could not withdraw any customs moneys unless the checks were countersigned by the Chinese superintendent, who has a Japanese adviser named Kato. I have reason to believe that Kato has received instructions from Changchun to arrange for the taking over of the customs, as from March 30th.[”]