394.1115/152: Telegram
The Ambassador in Japan (Grew) to the Secretary of State
Tokyo, November 28,
1941—5 p.m.
[Received November 28—11:44 a.m.]
1863. Department’s 711, November 2, 2 a.m. A note dated November 26 has been
received from the Foreign Office in part as follows:
“The report attached hereto has been received from the Japanese
Consul General at Honolulu and from the official of the Foreign
Office in charge aboard the same ship. In inviting the attention of
the American Government to such unnecessarily severe and improper
treatment on the part of the American customs authorities, the
Japanese Government has the honor to request that appropriate
measures be taken to prevent the recurrence of such incidents.”
The report is as follows:
- “1. The customs at Honolulu began examination of the hand
baggage of the passengers of the Taiyo
Maru on November 3. The examination was extremely
severe; so much so that in certain cases on that day it occupied
5 hours per person and about 1 hour per suitcase.
- 2. Under the freezing order and other regulations the
passengers of the Taiyo Maru were allowed
to take out up to $200 in cash but the taking out of negotiable
instruments was prohibited; furniture was limited to that used
for 4 months or more; and the taking out of cloth and foodstuffs
was also restricted. Furthermore a strict search was made of the
persons of the passengers.
- 3. Not only was the baggage examination of the passengers of
the Taiyo Maru by the customs at Honolulu
extremely severe but during the search of persons conducted on
the day of the departure the majority of the second and third
class passengers were made almost naked.
[Page 447]
Among women passengers particularly, some
were subjected to insulting treatment by woman
inspectors.[”]
