611.939/210: Telegram
The Consul at Swatow (Young) to the Secretary of State
[Received 2:04 p.m.]
62. Referring to Department’s telegram No. 11, October 26, 7 p.m. to Swatow regarding linen shipments. On the first shipment of 1186 cases or 483 cubic tons made in September exporters were assessed $500 Chinese national currency per ton in addition to a Swatow Shanghai freight rate of 41 Chinese dollars per ton while on the second shipment consisting of 861 cases or 343 cubic tons the assessment was at the same rate but the freight rate was increased to $98 per ton. Therefore, on the first shipment the assessment was about $241,000 and on the second $176,000 Chinese currency. The assessments and freight charges were paid to Mitsui Bussan Kaisha, but what disposition was made of the payments cannot be reliably ascertained. The foregoing is common knowledge in Swatow and presumably in Shanghai.
Repeated to Peiping, Shanghai.