Minister Griscom to the Secretary of State.
Tokyo, June 18, 1905.
June 18, 12 midnight. Minister for foreign affairs requests me to inform the President by telegraph of the deep satisfaction of the Japanese [Page 812] Government at the selection of Washington as the place of negotiations. He desires to assure the President that the attitude taken by the Japanese Government regarding the nature of the powers to be conferred on the peace plenipotentiaries was not in any degree inspired by a desire to raise difficulties or delay negotiations. Experience has taught the necessity of caution, and the Japanese Government thought that by securing at the outset a common understanding upon this subject they would preclude possibility of any difficulty arising in the initial stage of negotiations and would smooth the way for the real work of the negotiators; but having entire confidence in the wisdom of the President, the Japanese Government accepts his interpretation of the intention of Russia and will without further question appoint plenipotentiaries with full powers to negotiate and conclude terms of peace. The appointment will be made in time to enable the plenipotentiaries to reach Washington during the first ten days in August, and the persons to be selected will be officials of high rank and position who have the confidence of His Imperial Majesty and of the Japanese Government.