Office of the Historian

Mr. Takahira to Mr. Hay.

Legation of Japan,
Washington, March 19, 1904.
No. 14.]

Sir: With reference to my conversation with you on Thursday last, the 17th instant, I beg herewith to hand to you a copy of telegram which was received by Baron Komura, His Imperial Japanese Majesty’s minister for foreign affairs, from Mr. Inouye, the Japanese minister at Berlin, in regard to a number of Japanese residents in Siberia now suffering from untoward treatment of the Russian police authorities, and consequently requesting protection and assistance to enable them to return to Japan.

I am now instructed to request that the United States Government will have the goodness to instruct His Excellency Ambassador Mc-Cormick to take necessary steps to the end that those Japanese subjects now in Russia who are destitute and desire to return to Japan may be sent to Berlin, as the Japanese legation in that city will be prepared to take charge of them. As to the amount of the expenses required for the journey of those Japanese subjects from Tsita to [Page 432] Berlin I am in the hope that the United States ambassador at St. Petersburg may find means to Obtain the necessary information, as I shall be ready to furnish it upon the receipt of such information.

Accept, etc.,

K. Takahira.
[Inclosure.—Telegram.]

The Japanese minister at Berlin to Baron Komura.

Two Japanese, Ikeda and Tachikawa, have just arrived at Berlin from Siberia as delegates of 48 other Japanese now living in Tsita (Chita?) and have applied to me for assistance.

From their statement it appears that 19 Japanese residing in Irkutsk were suddenly ordered by the police authorities to leave the city at a moment’s notice, without giving them time to take any of their effects, and were thus forced to retreat to Tsita, where at present 29 other Japanese are also living, but owing to the lives of all Japanese being in constant danger there and being boycotted they are unable to earn any living, thus becoming penniless and suffer great privations. The two Japanese also state that a great number of Japanese have been hanged at Harbin on a charge of their having destroyed railways. Under these circumstances, and as there may be still a great number of other Japanese living elsewhere in Siberia who might also be in want of succor, I hope you will see your way to have assistance and protection accorded to them by proper means, so that they may be able to return home safely.

Inouye.