Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, Transmitted to Congress, With the Annual Message of the President, December 7, 1874

No. 403.
Mr. Davis to Mr. De Long.

Department of State,
Washington, August 21, 1873.

No. 212.]

Sir: Referring to your No. 439, of the 5th ultimo, in which inquiry is made as to whether a citizen of the United States residing in Japan is at liberty to surrender to that government his privileges of extraterritoriality, I have to state in answer that, as an American, he cannot alter treaties existing between the two countries, but he can expatriate himself if he wishes so to do.

I am, &c.,

J. C. B. DAVIS,
Acting Secretary.