793.94/594½
Memorandum by the Secretary of State of a Conference
With the Japanese Ambassador on Special Mission (Ishii), October 22, 1917
October 22, 1917
The Viscount called at the Department by request and I told him that the
note as finally agreed upon on the 20th was acceptable in
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itself, but that the President
was seriously concerned over the elimination of the declaration
following the one referring to the “Open Door” policy unless some
statement was made in regard to it. I said that, as I understood that
his Government were opposed to an exchange of confidential notes on the
subject, I would suggest that there should accompany the Japanese reply
a memorandum, which I could retain in my confidential files. I then
produced a draft of memorandum such as I had in mind and read it to him.
(A copy of the paper is annexed.)18
The Viscount, to whom I handed a copy, read it through very carefully and
said that he would submit it to his Government.
I then handed him the redraft of the note which I had made on the 20th
(of which a copy is annexed).
He spoke of the elimination of the word “other” and asked if I did not
think it well to retain it. I told him “No”, and he dropped the
subject.
He asked if the ending of the note would be the same as the Root-Takahira
agreement and I told him that I had not thought about the matter, but
would let him know the next time we met.
[Annex]
Redraft of Note, October 20, 1917
Excellency: I have the honor to
communicate herein my understanding of the agreement reached by us
in our recent conversations touching the questions of mutual
interest to our Governments relating to the Republic of China.
In order to silence the mischievous reports that have from time to
time been circulated, it is believed by us that a public
announcement once more of the desires and intentions shared by our
two Governments with regard to China is advisable.
The Governments of the United States and Japan recognize that
territorial propinquity creates special relations between countries,
and, consequently, the Government of the United States recognizes
that Japan has special interests in China, particularly in the part
to which her possessions are contiguous.
The territorial sovereignty of China, nevertheless, remains
unimpaired and the Government of the United States has every
confidence in the repeated assurances of the Imperial Japanese
Government that while geographical position gives Japan such special
interests they have no desire to discriminate against the trade of
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other nations or to
disregard the commercial rights heretofore granted by China in
treaties with other powers.
The Governments of the United States and Japan deny that they have
any purpose to infringe in any way the independence or territorial
integrity of China and they declare, furthermore, that they always
adhere to the principle of the so-called “Open Door” or equal
opportunity for commerce and industry in China.
Moreover, they mutually declare that they are opposed to the
acquisition by any Government of any special rights or privileges
that would affect the independence or territorial integrity of China
or that would deny to the subjects or citizens of any country a19 full enjoyment of
equal opportunity in the commerce and industry of China.
I shall be glad to have Your Excellency confirm this understanding of
the agreements20 reached by us.
