File No. 893.773/31.
Consul Pontius to the
Secretary of State.
No. 46.]
American Consulate,
Newchwang,
November 7, 1914.
Sir: For the information of the Department, I
have the honor to enclose herewith copy of my No. 38, of even date,
reporting further to the Legation at Peking concerning the reduction
instituted by the South Manchuria Railway covering railway freights on
foreign importations, and transmitting further evidence of
discrimination in this regard.
I have [etc.]
[Inclosure—Extract.]
Consul Pontius to
Minister Reinsch.
No. 38.]
American Consulate,
Newchwang,
November 7, 1914.
Sir: Referring to my No. 31, dated October
17, 1914, I have the honor to transmit herewith additional
information1
which clearly shows the facilities and reduction accorded “through”
shipments of cotton goods to points in Manchuria from Shanghai via
the South Manchuria Railway steamers to Dairen and thence onward
over the railway line of the latter institution. * * *
It will be remembered that in my last despatch mention was made that
the local South Manchuria Railway stationmaster in a written
communication averred that “only such shipments are to be ranked as
‘through cargo’ as are shipped through to stations on the South
Manchuria Railway under Nippon Yusen Kaisha (South Manchuria Railway
steamship) through bills of lading.” It was considered advisable to
ascertain what special treatment would be accorded cargo shipped
from Shanghai to Manchuria along the routes referred to by the
stationmaster. It might be mentioned in this connection that the
Nippon Yusen Kaisha maintains no regular steamship service between
Shanghai and Newchwang, consequently “through cargo” would
necessarily have to be shipped from Shanghai via Dairen.
What is now plainly apparent is that foreign shipping is
discriminated against in that only Japanese steamship lines may be
used in order to obtain the 30 per cent reduction quoted, and the
port of Newchwang discriminated against owing to the fact that no
Japanese steamers ply regularly between the ports of Shanghai and
Newchwang. The discrimination against the port of Newchwang as
regards “local freights” has also been conclusively proved in my No.
31, dated October 17, 1914, and there seems to be every
justification for firmly protesting against the unfair tactics of
the South Manchuria Railway in so plainly disregarding the principle
of equal opportunity openly professed in the past by the Japanese
Government.
I have [etc.]
