Office of the Historian

151.096/265: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Japan (Grew)

Washington, March 8, 1934—5 p.m.

27. Your telegram No. 42, March 6, 4 p.m.; also the Consulate General’s March 6, 4 p.m.74

1.
In view of the fact that Mr. Pei Heng alias Frank Ma resides in Japan as an official of the Manchukuo regime and as the purpose of his visit to the Philippine Islands in company with certain Japanese would be to discuss with aliens resident in the Philippine Islands a matter which would involve discussion of a controversial political question, the Department does not desire that a visa be granted to him. If you feel that any explanation of refusal of visa in this case is required, you may make use of the above and may in addition refer to the fact that the Manchukuo authorities have refused entry into Manchuria of at least two American citizens, Mr. John B. Powell75 and Mr. Upton Close.76
2.
For your own information it may be stated that the Department, in a previous case which arose in October last year, outlined to the Consul General at Mukden the procedure which should be followed by a person of the Chinese race in Manchuria who wishes to visit American territory. The procedure authorized was that established by Note 18, Section 361 of the Consular Regulations provided the applicant presents a Section 6 certificate issued by the “Chief of the Bureau of Public Safety of Mukden” referred to in Note 11, Section 368 of the Consular Regulations. This procedure was not however to be regarded as a precedent, and the Department instructed that each similar future case be referred to it for instruction.
3.
Inform Garrels77 for his guidance.
4.
Send to Peiping and Mukden by safe means copies of the telegrams under reference and of this reply.
Hull
  1. Latter not printed.↩
  2. Managing editor, China Weekly Review at Shanghai; special correspondent, Chicago Tribune.↩
  3. Pen name of Josef Washington Hall, author, lecturer, and traveler.↩
  4. Arthur Garrels, Consul General at Tokyo.↩