File No. 893.00/2657
[Untitled]
Tokyo, July 7, 1917, 4 p.m.
Your cipher telegram of July 3, 5 p.m. In reply to my communication the Minister for Foreign Affairs has just handed me a memorandum reading as follows:
The Japanese Government highly appreciate the friendly spirit in which the American Government have sought their views as to the advisability of taking measures in the present crisis for protection of foreigners residing in China. As Doctor Reinsch has already been informed by Baron Hayashi, Japanese Legation guards at Peking, formerly consisting of two companies of infantry, have just [Page 86] been reenforced by another company dispatched from the garrison of Tientsin. In time of embroils those guards are prepared to afford due protection to foreign residents in Peking in cooperation with the American and other Legation guards and if necessary may be readily strengthened by further reenforcements. Reports so far received from Peking do not seem to warrant the conclusion that the troops actually maintained by foreign Legations there are quite inadequate to protect foreign residents more especially when no feature of anti-foreign character is involved in the whole conflict. As the matter stands at present the Japanese Government do not consider it is advisable to proceed immediately to further measures of military precaution which might create suspicion and misgiving among the Chinese.
Viscount Motono states that the Japanese reply makes reference only to Peking inasmuch as there are at present no indications that there will be a clash of forces in any other locality.