The Secretary of State to Ambassador Meyer.
Washington , June 23, 1905 .
In answer to your cablea please suggest that Russia send the names of their probable plenipotentiaries to the President, who will keep them secret until Japan has done the same; the President then to announce to each country through their ambassadors the names given to him, each country having the right to change the names, if advisable. No public announcement will be made until these changes, if any, have been made. The President has received from the Japanese Government the assurance that they will name as plenipotentiaries men of the highest rank. He believes that they are hesitating because they want to be sure that the Russian plenipotentiaries will also be of the highest rank. The President very earnestly desires that at the time of the appointment by the Russian Government of these plenipotentiaries it shall be stated that they are named as plenipotentiaries to negotiate and conclude a treaty of peace with Japan. The peculiar wording of the announcement by the Russian Government as to the appointment of these plenipotentiaries, which was simply to the effect that the Russian Government agreed in principle to the President’s suggestion and that delegates would be appointed at some future time, evidently made Japan feel doubtful whether the Russian plenipotentiaries will really be appointed to conclude a treaty of peace. Before any question of an armistice is raised the President feels strongly that this point should be settled by the naming of plenipotentiaries with public instructions that they are appointed to conclude a treaty of peace, this conclusion, of course, being subject to the ratification of the treaty by the respective home governments.
- Not printed.↩