No. 373.
Mr. Bingham to Mr. Fish.
Tokei, January 19, 1875. (Received February 24)
Sir: The politic and just recommendation, as it seems to me, of the President in his recent message, to the effect that the increase, in part or in whole, of the Simonoseki indemnity, received by our Government, be appropriated to educational purposes in Japan, has been made the subject of another criticism by one of the English journals published at Yokohama, which, to use the words of the journalist, I report “as part of the history of the affair,” and as an indication of its treatment by the English press in this country. The article speaks for itself. Notwithstanding what is therein stated, or that has heretofore been stated by the English journalists with so much manifest ill-will toward America and her institutions, about a matter which in no wise concerned them and with which they had no legitimate right whatever to deal, nothing is to my mind clearer than that the application, as suggested by the President, of the increase of this fund to educational purposes in Japan would strengthen American influence and promote American interests in this empire. I have the honor to submit this matter to your consideration, and desire to express the hope that the suggestion of the President will be accepted and carried out by the present Congress. It has occurred to me that it is not improper to suggest, if it meets your approval, that a brief section authorizing the Department of State to appropriate the past and future increase of this fund for the education in Japan of Japanese and American youths, would most readily command the support of the present Congress. A bill stating amounts, &c., would, in my opinion, be more likely to excite debate and cause opposition.
I am, &c.,