861.77/1172: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Japan (Morris)
Your October 31, 3 p.m. It is desired that in reply to the note of the Japanese Foreign Office dated October 30,53 you should present a note embodying substantially the following:
“The American Government has been happy to note the assurance that the Japanese troops are and have been devoting their efforts towards making all possible contribution to the furtherance of the general operation of the railway plan; and it has learned with great satisfaction that it was not the intention of the Japanese Government that its instructions to its military authorities in Siberia should be construed as withholding from the Allied inspectors the protection of the Japanese forces, but that the Japanese troops will put forward all possible efforts towards removing anything [Page 595] that stands in the way of the railway’s operation, and will by no means shut their eyes to the perpetration of offenses which are calculated to endanger the lives and property of inspectors or engineers.
The American Government has also been much gratified by the Japanese Government’s confirmation of the instructions issued by General Oi in pursuance of the interview between him and the American Ambassador on September 22d.
The American Embassy is happy to advise the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in conclusion that the Government of the United States shares the confident hope of the Japanese Government that the despatch of Ambassador Kato to Siberia with the purpose of furthering the economic and political recuperation of that region, and of cooperating in such action as may be considered necessary to secure the proper working of the railway plan, will be instrumental in promoting mutual understanding and cooperation among the Allied Nationals in Siberia.”
Associated Press message from Tokyo dated November 2d gives a summary evidently based upon a full knowledge of the Japanese memorandum of October 30th. The Department would be glad to receive your comment upon the motives for such publication, and upon the reactions it may have produced in Japan.
Despite the action of the Japanese Government in making public at least the substance of this correspondence the Department has not felt at liberty to give out the texts of the memoranda thus exchanged.