File No. 763.72/936
The Ambassador in Japan (Guthrie) to the Secretary of State
Tokyo, September 1, 1914.
[Received September 23.]
No. 119]
Sir: Referring to my telegram of August 15, 12 p.m.,1 transmitting the text of Japan’s ultimatum to Germany, I have the honor to enclose an English translation of the proclamation of war,2 which was issued at noon of the 23d ultimo, the date of expiration of the multi Tatum, simultaneously with which the German Ambassador was handed his passport.
It was the general conviction here that Germany would not comply with the terms of the ultimatum, and that war was inevitable, so that the proclamation was received by the public with but little surprise.
The vernacular press unanimously supported the Government in its action, recognizing Japan’s obligations under the alliance with England, and her duty to preserve the peace of the Far East, and to protect international shipping in Oriental waters.
Some of the newspapers referred to the intervention of Germany following the Chino-Japanese War, and expressed satisfaction at the opportunity afforded for retaliation. The efforts of the German Emperor to imbue Europe with the fear of a “yellow peril” were also recalled.
The promise of the Government to restore Kiaochow to China provoked some discussion, and while most of the journals raised no objections, some of them considered that as Germany had rejected the ultimatum, Japan was no longer bound by the terms thereof, and was at liberty to retain that territory as a prize of war.
There are also enclosed English translations3 of the list of articles regarded as contraband during the war between Japan and Germany, of the regulations relating to German merchantmen anchored in or bound for Japanese ports at the time of the declaration of war. The articles of contraband practically correspond with those provided by the conference of London, with one important exception, that aircraft are transferred from conditional to absolute contraband.
A special session of the Diet is to be convoked on the 3d instant, to vote the war budget for the current fiscal year, which it is said will amount to about $18,000,000.
I have [etc.]