893.512/862
The Chargé in China (Perkins) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 13.]
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of the Department’s instruction No. 948 of August 6, 1928, which refers to the Legation’s instruction to the American Consul at Swatow concerning the imposition of a 20 per cent surtax at that port for the relief of sufferers from “Red” outrages. It is noted that, in view of a request made for such action by the Art Embroidered Linen Importers Association of New York, the Department instructs this Mission to give further consideration to the question of protesting against this surtax.
[Page 511]The Legation is still of the opinion that no protest should be lodged in this particular case. This would seem to accord with the Department’s general instruction upon this subject and in particular with its No. 61, of February 15, 4 p.m., 1927,65 paragraph 3, and with its mail instruction of September 20, 1927.66
In view of the Department’s instructions; Mr. Berger’s recommendations against making a protest in this instance; and in view of the fact that the Consular representatives of other Powers in South China, especially the British, are apparently following the practice of not making protests against such taxes, this Mission will refrain from a protest in this particular case unless definite instructions to the contrary are received from the Department.
I have [etc.]
- Foreign Relations, 1927, vol. ii, p. 382.↩
- Not printed.↩