File No. 893.00/2645b
The Secretary of State to Chargé Wheeler 8
Washington, June 19, 1917, 4 p.m.
Department’s June 4, 3 p.m. Great Britain and Japan decline to send proposed notes. France has not replied.9 Japan in another but oral statement through the Ambassador here on June 15 declared that Japan had special and close relations, political as well as economic with China and that this was recognized by Mr. Bryan when Secretary of State, who had also stated that American activity in China was never political. The Japanese Government requests [Page 74] the American Government to confirm Mr. Bryan’s statement and repeat his assurance of a friendly attitude towards Japan in respect to Chinese problems. The substance of Mr. Bryan’s note was telegraphed to you on March 13, 1915.10 The Department will inform you later of its reply to the present request.
- Similar telegram to the American Minister at Peking.↩
- For reply of France see telegram No. 2190, June 17, 1917, from the American Embassy at Paris, received at Department June 20, 1917.↩
- For Rel. 1915, p. 111.↩