File No. 893.00/2599
Chargé Wheeler to the Secretary of State
Tokyo, June 8, 1917, 10 p.m.
Your telegram of June 4, 3 p.m. Some data as to identic representation is before the Cabinet. Today the Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs told me confidential information from Peking indicated that the situation there was not alarming and that the rebellious Tuchuns did not seriously contemplate any military movement. He stated that it is the belief of the Foreign Office here that the matter will be removed [settled?] by compulsory arbitration within a week. Today Asahi published a telegram from Peking stating that on the fifth the American Minister, acting on instruction from Washington, communicated with the Chinese Government in the sense of the proposed identic representation. The Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs expressed surprise that this, if the report were true, had been done before the Japanese Government replied to our proposal.