Foreign Relations of the United States, 1894, Appendix I, Chinese-Japanese War, Enforcement of Regulation Respective to Fur Seals, Mosquito Territory, Affairs at Bluefields, Claim of Antonio Maximo Mora, Import Duties on Certain Products of Colombia, Haiti, and Venezuela, Affairs in the Samoan Islands

Mr. Denby, chargé, to Mr. Gresham.

No. 43.]

Legation of the United States,
Peking, August 6, 1894. (Received September 22.)

Sir: I have the honor to state that, notwithstanding the assurance of the Japanese Government that it would regard Shanghai as outside the sphere of its warlike operations, the Chinese Government has decided to partially close the Huang-pu River at Wusung. A sufficient channel will be left for all mercantile purposes, which, if necessity requires, may be closed at short notice.

I have, etc.,

Chas. Denby, Jr.

[Inclosure in No. 43.—Extract from the North China Daily News.]

Shanghai, July 25, 1894.

We issued early yesterday morning an extra giving the folio wing welcome information:

“Mr. Hannen, H. M.’s. consul-general, has received a telegram from the British chargé d’affaires at Tokyo, Mr. Paget, announcing that the Japanese Government has undertaken to regard Shanghai as outside the sphere of its warlike operations.”

It is very pleasant news to us all here that under no circumstances will the Japanese Government undertake war operations against Shanghai. Very great praise is due to our foreign office, to the Japanese foreign office, to Mr. Hannen, and to Mr. Paget, British chargé d’affaires at Tokyo, for the promptitude with which this matter has been arranged, when it is remembered that the wires were only put in operation via London on Sunday afternoon. This decision on the part of the Japanese Government is fixed, and there is no reason whatever to fear that any departure from it will be made.