893.51/2883: Telegram
The Chargé in Japan (Bell) to the Secretary of State
[Received 8:47 p.m.]
359. Your 272, July 19th, 7 p.m. I have never communicated to the Japanese Government our Government’s approval of the notes exchanged by Lamont and the Japanese banking group on May 11th, and there is no record of the Ambassador ever having done so formally, presumably because he was never instructed by the Department to do so.
Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs informs me that the Japanese Government’s formal approval of these notes has been communicated to the Japanese group but has not been made public.
There seems to be some misunderstanding regarding the remainder of your telegram. The only telegram regarding consortium matters, which the British Ambassador has recently received from his Government, was dated about July 14th, and informed him that I would shortly be instructed by my Government to endeavor to obtain the Japanese Government’s formal assent to a formula defining the measure of support to be given by the various interested Governments to their respective national groups, which formula was adopted at an inter-group meeting held at Paris May 11th, 1919.65 British Ambassador was authorized to confirm fact that his Government have adhered to that formula. This does not appear to be what you had in mind in your telegram.
[Page 558]French Ambassador out of town and his only secretary ill, so I am obliged to postpone my consultation with him till next week.
- For text of formula, see preamble to draft agreement, Foreign Relations, 1919, vol. i, p. 439; for discussion concerning changes and adherence, see ibid., pp. 442 passim.↩