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British Consulate-General,

Number 147

Copies to:

Foreign Office (3) No. 97, Tokyo, No.51,

Commander-in-Chief,

Officer Commanding Shanghai Area, Naval Liaison Officer.

Sir,

Shanghai.

April 1st 1939.

52

I have the honour to report that a Shanghai branch office of the Asia Development Board has been established at the New Asia Hotel, Tiendong Road, and commenced functioning on March the 14th. The new office, which is in charge of Vice Admiral S. Tsuda, will take over the control previously exercised by the Special Service Sections of the Japanese Army and Navy in Central China, i.e. general reconstruction work of a political and economic nature, including the disposal of "enemy property and former Chinese property claimed by third party nationals.

2. The names of a score of the members of

this office are known and several of them are

familiar as belonging previously to the Special Service Sections of the Army and Navy.

t

Among these

are Major-General Kusumoto, head of the Political Affairs Bureau in the local office, and Colonel Koshiyoku, head of the Bureau in charge of general economic affairs. It is however noteworthy that a

civilian, Mr. Akimichi Ando, formerly officer in charge of the Custom House in Nagasaki, will head a Bureau dealing with matters relating to the

monetary situation and taxation. Members of

His lajesty's Ambassador,

British Embassy,

SHANGHAI.

/the

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