File No. 894.4054/12
The Secretary of State to the Japanese Ambassador
Washington , May 7, 1917 .
Excellency: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of April 28, 1917, replying to mine of that date communicating the request of the Labor Department for further information upon the subject of the so-called “picture brides.”
A copy of your note was transmitted immediately to the Honorable the Secretary of Labor for his consideration. I now have the honor to inform you that on May 5 I received from the Assistant [Page 851] Secretary of Labor a note stating that the Department of Labor had sent a telegram to the immigration officers in charge at the ports of San Francisco, California; Seattle, Washington; Honolulu, T. H. and Vancouver, B. C., reading as follows:
Unless and until other instructions are received accept certified copy of record of registrar supplemented by certified copy of notification to registrar by party living in United States as sufficient evidence of marriage in Japanese “picture bride” cases to justify exempting from illiteracy test. Concerning those now en route certified copy registrar’s record may be accepted with stipulation that of notification will be supplied later. Discontinue requiring marriage picture brides after arrival.
Accept [etc.]