893.51/2132
Memorandum of the Third Assistant Secretary of State (Long)
The Japanese Ambassador called today and spoke of the conversation he had with Mr. Lansing and the latter’s reported agreement to accept Baron Sakatani as Financial Advisor to China. He went into the history of the matter at some length and referred to the conversation he had had with me and to a subsequent conversation on the 11th of May 1918, which he had had with Mr. Lansing and in which he claims Mr. Lansing said that our interest in Currency Reform was “Sentimental” and he gained the impression that we were somewhat disconcerted in not having been consulted and our consent gotten in the matter, but were not inclined to offer an objection. He said that during the same conversation Mr. Lansing told him that there was no objection to the appointment of Sakatani and that when he asked if he might so advise his Government he was expressly told he might. I told him that if the Secretary or I had used the word “Sentimental” as descriptive of our interest in Chinese Currency Reform it was expressive of our very deep, wholesome and sincere interest and should not be construed as meaning a light and frivolous sentimentality. He expressed himself as having been very much surprised when he heard that Mr. Lansing had no recollection of the conversation. I immediately expressed myself as being very much surprised and probably to an equal extent when I had heard that he reported that he had had such a conversation with Mr. Lansing.
He explained that it placed him in a very embarrassing position with his Government.