Chargé Wilson to
the Secretary of State.
[Extracts.]
American Legation,
Tokyo, March 15,
1906.
No. 412.]
Sir: I have the honor to confirm your
telegraphic instruction received February 23, which reads, deciphered,
as follows:a
Immediately upon the receipt of the above, I embodied the sense of your
instructions in a memorandum, which I transmitted to the minister for
foreign affairs, with a note dated February 23, wherein I set forth the
alleged discrimination in favor of Japanese and against American
commerce in Manchuria, and, in view of the great importance of the
principle involved, requested the Japanese Government’s serious and
early consideration of the matter. I have the honor to forward herewith
copies of the above-mentioned note and memorandum.
On the 1st instant, when I spoke to Mr. Kato, then minister for foreign
affairs, of the present apparent failure of the “open door” policy, he
referred to it as a very grave matter, adding that he had not heard of
any discrimination. On the 7th instant, a member of the legation who
visited the foreign office was told that the note of the 23d ultimo had
been referred to the department concerned and that the foreign office
would bear in mind the legation’s wish for an early answer.
I have the honor to inclose a clipping from the Japan Times of the 13th
instant, announcing an industrial exhibition to be held at Mukden this
summer. The day after this item appeared, I caused inquiries to be made
at the department of agriculture and commerce, and I append to the
clipping an account of the statement of an official of that department
made in reply to my inquiries. It will be observed that the project is
to hold a bazaar at Mukden, beginning May 1, for the exhibition of
Japanese merchandise. The project is under the auspices of the principal
chambers of commerce of Japan, and, if not under government supervision,
at least the details of the enterprise are well known to the department
of agriculture and commerce, which seems to be in sympathy with the
undertaking.
Inasmuch as about three weeks have already elapsed since I acted upon
your instructions of the 23d ultimo, at my interview with Mr. Chinda
to-day I handed him a note verbale, designed to emphasize the importance
of the pending question and to hasten the time when I may have the honor
to reply to your instructions. A copy of my note verbale of this date is
herewith inclosed.
Up to the present time no foreign business men have been permitted to go
to Port Arthur or Dalny, excepting those who went to investigate
property formerly abandoned there. Some applications [Page 172] have been made through this legation,
but thus far without result. The British embassy is in the same position
in regard to British merchants. The ambassador informs me that he has
been making representations on behalf of his nationals and that he is
now taking the matter up under instructions from his Government. Another
matter in which he is interested is the restriction against foreign
vessels.
A few days ago an American citizen who held a Russian permit to proceed
from Vladivostok, over the Chinese Eastern Railway, to Chang-chun, and
who held a Japanese permit to revisit Port Arthur, asked me to inquire
whether he might go south from Chang-chun to Dalny, stopping en route at
Mukden and Liaoyang, at which places also he had abandoned property at
the outbreak of the war. In answer to my question the foreign office
gave me a statement of the military authorities to the effect that, by
the terms of a memorandum concluded between General Fukushima and the
commander of the Russian forces, no foreigners were permitted to pass
between the zones in Manchuria still occupied by the two armies, except
in very special cases and under permits granted by the commanders of
both forces, applications for such permission being made to those
commanders, between whom mutual arrangement was necessary. I mention
this as illustrating the difficulties encountered by foreigners wishing
to enter from the north into that portion of Manchuria now under
Japanese control.
I shall hope soon to gain information as to the conditions met by
Americans who desire to go into Manchuria via Newchwang, the question as
to which is the immediate subject of your instructions under
acknowledgment.
I have, etc.,
[Inclosure 1.]
Chargé Wilson
to the Minister for Foreign
Affairs.
American Legation,
Tokyo, February 23,
1906.
No. 214.]
Monsieur le Ministre: I have the honor to
hand your excellency herewith a memorandum on the subject of alleged
discrimination in favor of Japanese and against American commerce in
Manchuria. Your excellency will observe that my Government places
the fullest reliance upon the purpose of the Imperial Japanese
Government to maintain in practice the principle of equal
opportunity. The present reported failure to apply that principle is
unhesitatingly assumed by the Secretary of State to be due to a
perversion of the purposes of your excellency’s government by the
unauthorized action of subordinates, and I am instructed by
telegraph to ask that the Imperial Japanese Government inquire into
the matter.
In view of the great importance which the United States attaches to
the prinple involved, I have the honor to request that your
excellency kindly use all expedition in placing me in a position to
reassure my Government of the enforcement in practice of a principle
as to which the Governments of the United States and of Japan are in
such hearty accord.
I seize this opportunity to renew to your excellency the assurances
of my highest consideration.
[Page 173]
[Inclosure 2—Memorandum with No. 214.]
The Secretary of State is receiving from American merchants and
traders representations of an urgent nature to the effect that,
nothwithstanding the long period of time which has intervened since
the operation of the treaty of peace, they are still being prevented
from entering Manchuria by way of Newchwang. American tobacco
interests are particularly distressed; those concerned state that
their agents are excluded from Manchuria, while at the same time
Japanese agents of the tobacco trade are allowed to go into that
territory and extend their business.
The declared purpose of the Imperial Japanese Government to maintain
absolute equality of opportunity for trade advantages in Manchuria
is well known to, and fully recognizeed by, the United States.
Therefore, in view of these reports, the Secretary of State is
impressed with the idea that unauthorized subordinates of the
Imperial Japanese Government may be failing to carry out that
purpose.
[Inclosure 3.]
exhibition at mukden.
[Clipping from Japan Times of March 13.]
An industrial exhibition will be held at Mukden this summer. The list
of exhibitors is to be closed to-day. The number of applications
received in Tokyo for stalls up to yesterday reached 3,000. The
scheme promises to be a great success. The exhibition is calculated
to greatly promote our commerce in Manchuria.
Note.—On March 14, Mr. (——) made a
statement to the following effect in reply to the legation’s request
for information regarding an exhibition of Japanese merchandise,
which it is reported will be held at Mukden this spring:
The industrial exhibition to be held this summer is under the
auspices of six chambers of commerce in Japan, viz, Tokyo, Yokohama,
Kobe, Nagoya, Kyoto, and Osaka. It will be open from May 1 to July
15 this year, but it is hoped to make it a kind of bazaar open all
the year round. It is to be maintained chiefly by the rent to be
paid by the exhibitors at the rate of 30 yen per tsubo, and
admission fees. The exhibition is on a very small scale, and is more
like a kwankoba (fair or bazaar). The department of agriculture and
commerce has nothing to do with the exhibition, except to encourage
the work and to facilitate the progress of commerce in a general
way. There are some Chinese exhibitors whose applications have been
granted, but owing to the difficulty of having a desirable place,
applications of chambers of commerce other than the six chambers
referred to may be rejected.
For further particulars Mr. Yamawaki referred the legation to one of
the six chambers of commerce mentioned above.
[Inclosure 4.]
Note verbale from Chargé Wilson to the Minister for
Foreign Affairs.
The chargé d’affaires of the United States had the honor to address
to his excellency His Imperial Japanese Majesty’s minister for
foreign affairs a note dated the 23d ultimo, accompanied by a
memorandum of the same date, on the subject of the alleged practical
failure in Manchuria of the principal of equal opportunity.
About three weeks now having elapsed since the above representations
were made, under telegraphic instructions from the American
Government, and in view of the grave political principle involved in
this matter, the chargé d’affaires of the United States has the
honor again to ask that his excellency His Imperial Japanese
Majesty’s minister for foreign affairs kindly place him, at his
excellency’s very earliest convenience, in a position to reply to
his Government.
[Page 174]
Mr. Huntington Wilson takes advantage of this opportunity to convey
to his excellency the Marquis Saionji the renewed assurances of his
highest consideration.
