File No. 861.00/854

The Ambassador in Russia (Francis) to the Secretary of State

[Telegram]

2127. Japanese Embassy in statement published Petrograd gazette yesterday denies report Japanese landing at Vladivostok and in connection says:

1.
All know that the capture of Vladivostok by Japanese could not present the slightest difficulty for them.
2.
That Japan has not shown any aggressive tendencies toward Russia, notwithstanding attacks on Japanese for plunder and other cases of the trampling of alien rights judging in Japan the present war is hardly viewed as the final chord of world militarism and the naval forces of Japan are gradually being increased [sic].

Concerning secret treaty cabled in my 21181 after saying that heading thereof is unauthorized ends:

With regard to this convention the Japanese Embassy declares that there is being attributed to this treaty a character that is entirely foreign to it and that it is in no wise ambiguous as regards England. The unauthorized heading merely shows that the person who composed it had not penetrated the meaning of the fourth article of the said treaty. The purpose of all this is apparently to call forth among the Allies if only a shadow of confusion.

Francis