CHILE

RECIPROCAL EXTENSION OF FREE CUSTOMS ENTRY PRIVILEGES TO PROFESSIONAL CONSULS BY THE UNITED STATES AND CHILE

625.11241/25

The Chilean Ambassador (Dávila) to the Secretary of State

No. 81

WASHINGTON, November 18, 1929. EXCELLENCY: The President of the Republic of Chile was authorized, by Law No. 4640 of August 19, 1929, to declare free from all import duties articles destined to Professional Consuls accredited near the Government of Chile, when the articles are originally shipped for the account of the aforementioned officials and for their own use and consumption. The Law provides that goods to an amount which would ordinarily bear duties of 30,000 Chilean Pesos will be permitted to enter free of duty the first year of the Consuls stay in the Country and goods ordinarily bearing 6,000 Chilean Pesos in duties each succeeding year. This free entry will be extended only to the Professional Consuls of those Countries granting similar reciprocity, and who do not, outside of their official functions, engage in commerce.

I have the honor to request that Your Excellency be good enough to advise me if there is any provision of Law here whereby the United States Government might permit its Professional Consuls to take advantage of the above Chilean Law by granting reciprocal privileges to the Professional Consuls of Chile in the United States. I avail myself [etc.] CARLOS G. DÁVILA

625.11241/25

The Secretary of State to the Chilean Ambassador (Dávila)

WASHINGTON, December 4, 1929. EXCELLENCY: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of November 18, 1929, informing me that under Chilean Law No. 4640 of August 19, 1929, professional consular officers assigned to Chile may be granted free entry on a basis of reciprocity for goods to an amount which would ordinarily bear duties of 30,000 Chilean pesos for the first year of their stay in Chile and goods ordinarily bearing duties of 6,000 Chilean pesos each succeeding year.

I have the honor to inform you in reply that this Government does not limit the amount represented in duty which may be imported by foreign diplomatic or consular officers for their personal or family use during any one year, but as it is believed that the value of articles imported by Chilean consular officers would not exceed the value of importations allowed American consular officers in Chile, the Treasury Department has consented to extend the privilege of free importation to Chilean consular officers in the United States. I have pleasure in advising you, therefore, that in addition to the free entry of baggage and effects upon arrival and return to their posts in this country after visits abroad, which Chilean consular officers assigned to the United States already enjoy, effective at once upon the request of the Chilean Embassy in each instance this Department will arrange for the extension of the free importation privilege to Chilean consular officers assigned to the United States who are Chilean nationals and not engaged in any other business with the understanding that no article, the importation of which is prohibited by the laws of the United States shall be imported by such officers. Accept [etc.] For the Secretary of State: FRANCIS WHITE

TACNA-ARICA DISPUTE: GOOD OFFICES OF THE UNITED STATES IN THE FINAL SETTLEMENT OF ISSUES BETWEEN CHILE AND PERU; REPRESENTATIONS BY BOLIVIA

(See volume I, pages 720 ff.)

CHINA

CONTINUED CIVIL WAR AND POLITICAL DISUNION IN CHINA, WITH MAINTENANCE OF THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT AND ALLEGIANCE OF THE MANCHURIAN LEADERS THERETO1

893.04417/1 : Telegram

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

27. Following from Mukden:

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PEKING, January 12, 1929-11 a. m. [Received January 12-9:15 a. m.]

"January 11, 5 p. m. Reliably informed that Yang [Yü-]ting 2 and Chang Yin-huai were arrested and shot last night. Their arrest occurred at commander in chief's office and a search of their residences immediately carried out. At a conference of generals called by commander in chief this morning they were handed the documentary evidence of conspiracy found in search and told that conspirators had already been shot; all agreed that penalty was deserved. Circular telegram sent out this noon stating that these men were guilty of conspiracy against the Government and of plot against unification of country, et cetera; three or four other high_officials arrested. News of execution public here. Understand that Japanese Consul General was informed by Chang early this morning.'

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MACMURRAY

893.04417/5

The Consul at Mukden (Myers) to the Minister in China

(MacMurray) 5

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No. 173 MUKDEN, January 14, 1929. SIR: Having reference to my telegram of January 11th reporting the arrest and summary execution of Yang Yu-t'ing and Ch'ang Yinhuai because of their conspiracy against the Government, I have the

'For previous correspondence regarding political conditions in China, see Foreign Relations, 1928, vol. II, pp. 119 ff.

'Gen. Yang Yü-ting, director of the Mukden arsenal, recently co-commander of the Fengtien 3d and 4th Armies, and chief of staff to the late Marshal Chang Tsolin, ruler of Manchuria and last head of the Peking Government.

Chang Yin-huai, active head of the Manchurian Communications Commission and Civil Governor of the Province of Heilungkiang.

'Gen. Chang Hsüeh-liang, chief commander of the Northeastern Frontier Army head of the Mukden government, and son of the late Marshal Chang Tso-lin. 'Copy transmitted to the Department without covering letter; received February 14, 1929.

* See telegram supra.

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honor to enclose herewith a translation of the circular telegram despatched on January 11th under the names of Chang Hsueh-liang, Chang Tso-hsiang, Wan Fu-ling, Chang Ching-hui, Chai Wen-hsuan, Liu Shang-ch'ing, Liu Che, Mo Te-huai, Wang Shu-ch'ang, Shen Hung-lieh, T'ang Yu-ling and Yuan Ching-k'ai to the Nanking Government and others in regard to this incident. The indictment is a lengthy one and probably most of the charges are more or less true. They are charged with having prevented the evacuation of the districts between the Luan River and Shanhaikuan as well as having opposed the raising of the Nationalist flags and the return of the rolling stock. It is also stated that they used the arsenal and the communication facilities as the principal means of extending their private interests and that they expended $200,000,000 at their own discretion and without the sanction of high authority; that lately they formed parties and enlisted followers in pursuance of a plan that would jeopardize the country.

The circumstances of the arrest and execution of Yang Yu-t'ing and Ch'ang Yin-huai, which were given in my telegram, are generally correct as far as can be learned. As stated therein, General Chang Hsueh-liang invited them to a conference when they were arrested and confronted with the charge of conspiracy against the Government. At the same time their residences were searched by Chang's troops and before morning they were executed. What evidence was discovered in the search has not been disclosed but there is reason to believe that General Chang had, when the arrest was made, sufficient evidence in his possession to warrant, in his opinion, their summary execution. The conference of high officials, held on the following morning, January 11th, approved his action.

Eight other arrests of officials closely associated with the principal conspirators were made early on January 11th, including among others, Wang Chih-ling, Co-Director of the Arsenal, Shih Chih-huang, Chang Hsuan and Ku Chen, Director of the Peking-Mukden Railway. None of these has been executed but it is thought by persons in close touch with the situation that one or two others may later receive the death penalty.

The execution of Chang Hsueh-liang's orders were carried out without a hitch and came as a complete surprise to everyone except possibly the small coterie of high officials who may have been consulted. Besides the search of the residences of Yang and Ch'ang and the disarming of their small bodyguards, troops from the Eastern Tombs disarmed the guards of the Arsenal without apparently any resistance and in the morning of January 11th the workmen returned to duty without realizing that a new regime was in control. Yang had no

'Not printed.

troops except the small Arsenal guard and Ch'ang's small armed force is in Heilungkiang. No trouble from them is expected and in fact no unfavorable reaction to these executions is anticipated.

It is a matter of general knowledge that the relations between Chang Hsueh-liang and Yang Yu-t'ing had never been too cordial, but since the death of Chang Tso-lin they had outwardly been on friendly terms and Yang's advice was frequently sought and given. His position as director of the arsenal, of which he had full control, and freedom from other duties placed him in an advantageous position for carrying out such secret plans as he doubtless had. Too, a large percentage of the officials throughout the province owed their positions to him directly or indirectly. Ch'ang Yin-huai's control of all communication facilities, the Chinese railways, telegraphs, radio and telephone, in the Three Eastern Provinces through his position as directing head of the Communiciations Commission gave him and his chief much influence and placed a very effective weapon in their hands. Even the sending of the Wu Ching mission to Europe-later it was expected to go to the United States-whose members were composed entirely of Ch'ang's followers is thought to have been part of the plot. Although the suspicious activities of these men and their growing power, referred to in my recent despatches, were probably noted by General Chang, the opinion is held by close observers that the existence of a definite plot to eliminate him and assume full control of the Government was only recently discovered and dictated the summary measures that were adopted. Henceforth, it is thought, General Chang will be credited with more decision than it has been commonly presumed that he possessed and will not be looked upon as a boy as both Yang and Ch'ang are supposed to have regarded him.

The press reports that Chang Hsueh-liang himself shot Yang Yu-t'ing are not given any credence whatever. Likewise, there is no reason to believe that these men were involved in the plot that caused the death of Marshal Chang Tso-lin. This latter report is likely to have had a Japanese origin.

It is reported in The Manchuria Daily News of January 12th that General Chang sent a private secretary to the Japanese Consulate General on the 11th to inform it that the execution of Yang and Ch'ang was strictly a domestic matter and had no international bearing. As stated in my telegram, some statement in connection with this matter was conveyed to that office.

Although possibly the circumstances of the case may tend to condone the summary execution of these men, nevertheless attention should be called to the fact that no formal trial of the accused was held. Some sort of an examination is reported to have occurred but it was doubtless not one in which the accused had any chance of putting up a defence, if any existed.