Office of the Historian

393.115/587: Telegram

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

Tokyo, March 23, 1939—2 p.m.
[Received March 23—6:13 a.m.]

141. The Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs asked me to come to see him today and told me that with a desire to convenience foreign trade and shipping the Japanese authorities in China had decided to reopen the great harbor at Tsingtao to vessels of third powers on March 25 subject to the following restrictions, these temporary restrictions being necessary to preserve secrecy in the case of occasional military movements.

  • “1. Use by vessels of third powers to be temporarily restricted to berths numbers 4 and 5 on mole No. 1 (approximately 220 meters) for the loading and unloading of general cargo and mole No. 4 for the discharge of oil and other inflammable cargo only, such use being made in connection with Japanese and Chinese vessels. Restrictions on use of berths may be extended further in case of military necessity.
  • 2. Use of godowns to be prohibited temporarily, except for the purpose of customs inspection. For this purpose a godown will be provided by the Tsingtao Harbor Company.
  • 3. Labor for loading and unloading to be restricted to coolies authorized by the Harbor Company.
  • 4. Carriage of goods within harbor enclosure to be permitted only to carriers holding permits from the Harbor Company.
  • 5. Landing and boarding of passengers to be prohibited during nighttime loading and unloading oil.
  • 6. Passengers, merchants, seamen et cetera holding permits issued by Japanese authorities only to be permitted to board and land from ships lying at berths.”

Repeated to Peiping for Tsingtao and to Shanghai for Chungking.

Grew