The Japanese Ambassador to the Secretary of State.
Washington , November 22, 1906 .
Sir: With reference to your note, No. 266, of the 18th of April last, addressed to Mr. Eki Hioki, the chargé d’affaires of Japan, and the previous correspondence which passed between him and the Department of State on the subject of the proposed reciprocal arrangement between the Empire of Japan and the United States as to the inspection of steamships, I have the honor to communicate to you the accompanying translation of a departmental ordinancea which has been issued by His Imperial Majesty’s minister of state for communications exempting the United States vessels trading to Japan, from and after November 26, 1906, from any further survey as regards hull, boilers, machinery, and equipments than is necessary to satisfy the inspection officers that these matters are as stated in the vessel’s current certificate of inspection. The exemption from inspection thus established in favor of United States vessels in the ports of Japan does not extend to the inspection required, for sanitary reasons, in respect to the accommodations provided for the passengers.
In behalf of the Imperial Government I have the honor to apply to the United States Government for similar exemption from inspection for Japanese vessels trading to United States ports upon the understanding that such reciprocal exemption would not interfere [Page 992] in any way with the operation of the act of Congress known as the “passenger act,” approved August 2, 1882, the requirements of which are almost exclusively hygienic.
Accept, etc.,
- See inclosure to dispatch No. 106, from the embassy to Japan, infra. ↩