Mr. Adee to Mr. Takahira.
Washington, September 17, 1904.
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of your note of yesterday’s date, in which, with regard to the disposal of the officers and crew of the Russian armed transport Lena after disarmament, as referred to in my note of the 15th instant, you advise me that you received yesterday instructions to inform the Government of the United States of the desire of the Imperial Government to have the said officers and crew detained in the territory of the United States until the end of the hostilities. In making the above communication to me you express the earnest hope that the Government of the United States will find it agreeable to take into favorable considertion the desire of your Government as above mentioned.
In reply I have the honor to state that the President, exercising his prerogative in carrying out the neutrality proclaimed by him, had already, before the receipt of your communication, taken the appropriate steps to detain the officers and crew of the Lena in this country until peace shall have been concluded, unless in the meantime the belligerents shall have concurred in proposing to him other arrangements in this regard.
Be pleased, etc.,
Acting Secretary.
(Note.—For further correspondence on this subject see under Russia, p. 780.)