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Washington, December 23, 1903.
Copy of a telegram received from the minister for foreign affairs, December 23, 1903.
Communicate the following supplementary information to the Government to which you are accredited:
From the previous information the United States Government may have observed that the Japanese Government, fully animated by a spirit of conciliation, are prepared to recognize Russia’s special interests and position acquired by her in Manchuria, provided,
- First. That Russia should join Japan in engaging to respect the territorial integrity of China in Manchuria; and
- Second. That the rights and commercial interests which other powers have acquired in Manchuria by their treaties with China should be maintained.
In thus proposing Japan asks no concession from Russia, all she desires being merely the confirmation of the declaration repeatedly made by Russia herself. As to Korea, Japan proposes herself to respect the independence and territorial integrity of the Empire and asks Russia also to respect the same. The Russian Government while accepting this proposal on the one hand proposes on the other a neutral zone in northern Korea. That Japan possesses paramount political as well as commercial and industrial interests in Korea; that she regards Korea’s safety as absolutely essential to her own safety, and [Page 621] that she must therefore be prepared to secure at all costs the safety of Korea, is well known to the powers interested in the affairs of the Far East.
To Russia, who recognized the large development of commercial and industrial enterprises of Japan in Korea by an international compact as far back as 1898, this state of affairs must be better known than to any other power, and it can not be a matter of surprise to her that Japan finds it impossible to acquiesce in an exceedingly abnormal and precarious condition which would inevitably result from Russia’s remaining indefinitely in the flank of Korea, which is an important outpost of Japan’s line of defense, and from the neutralization of a considerable territory of Korea comprising about one-third of the whole peninsula.
The Imperial Government are enabled by these considerations to still entertain the hope that the Russian Government will find it possible to reconsider their position, as they have just been invited to do so by the Imperial Government.
In making the foregoing communication you will express the hope of the Imperial Government that Japan’s course of action, which is invariably faithful to the cause of peace and solicitous to respect the legitimate interests of all other nations, may be appreciated by the Government of the United States.