861.00/4258: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Japan, (Morris)
In response to several recommendations for increased liberty of action for General Graves, Mission at Paris replied as follows:
“Now that General Tanaka is convinced that military activities should be confined hereafter to the guarding of the railway,8 the President desires you to instruct Ambassador Morris to urge upon the Japanese Foreign Office the desirability of adopting General Tanaka’s advice. This frank expression of opinion by General Tanaka seems to make Secretary Baker’s proposal entirely feasible and it is suggested that the Department take up with the Governments having military forces in Siberia, the formulating of policy which Secretary Baker suggests; that is to say, to limit the use of the military forces to the preservation of order in the immediate vicinity of the railway, its stations and trains, when those in charge so request, and to use Inter-Allied forces to suppress local violence by conflicting Russian forces only when such conflicts affect the despatch of trains or operation of the railway, and even then only to the extent necessary to protect the railway, and those engaged in its operation.”
Before taking action would like your views as to adequacy of proposed policy.