Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, 1926, Volume I

893.512/469: Telegram

The Minister in China (MacMurray) to the Secretary of State

[Paraphrase]

Peking, December 7, 1926—4 p.m.
[Received December 7—10:30 a.m.]

602. Your telegram 287 of December 4, 6 p.m.

1. Your telegram 287 apparently crossed my telegram 598 of December 4, 4 p.m. I trust the proposals outlined in my telegram will be regarded by the Department as quite compatible with the position it takes as outlined in its telegram respecting the national character of the Customs.

2. I regard it as absolutely impossible—whatever mutual agreement may be proved possible of being made in the future in regard to increases of the tariff or in regard to surtaxes—that there can ever be a diversion of the taxes now imposed by the Nationalists at Canton and other places as the substantial equivalent of the Washington surtaxes and certain to be imposed elsewhere similarly by the Northern Group, to national purposes instead of provincial purposes. It is upon that assumption, in my opinion, that any consideration of matters relating to the Customs must be predicated.

MacMurray