894.711/85
The Consul at Hanoi (Reed) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 8.]
Sir: I have the honor to report, as of possible interest to the Department, that the Japanese authorities in Indochina continue to detain at Haiphong approximately 7,000 sacks of parcel post material addressed to places in unoccupied China. According to a representative of the Chinese Postal Service, these 7,000 sacks were among the more than 14,000 sacks that were passed by the Japanese authorities in January of this year. This representative has been in Indochina for some months to endeavor to persuade the Japanese authorities that, having once passed the parcel post material in question and having allowed a large number of sacks to be delivered to unoccupied China, they should allow the remaining sacks to be forwarded. According to him, the Japanese authorities do not appear to be desirous of liquidating this matter and will not give a definite answer as to what may be done with the parcel post material—recently it was suggested that the sacks be returned to the post offices of origin or that the material be sold at auction for the benefit of the owners, but since making the suggestion the Japanese authorities have given one excuse and then another for not permitting the carrying out of the one or the other of their own suggestions. The representative states that he has the distinct impression that the Japanese authorities in Indochina are awaiting the arrival of the Yoshizawa Mission40 before taking any definite steps with regard to pending questions, such as the fate of the parcel post material in question.
Respectfully yours,
- Kenkichi Yoshizawa, former Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs.↩