893.51/2918: Telegram
The Chargé in Japan (Bell) to the Secretary of State
[Received 3:30 p.m.]
412. My 371 August [July] 28, 1 p.m.76 and your 282, July 23, 5 p.m.77 I have now received following reply from the Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs dated August 9th78:
“I beg to state in reply that the Japanese Government have in principle no objection to offer to the proposal of the United States Government, it being their belief that a proper elucidation of the objects and spirit of the organization of the consortium and a thorough understanding of it on the part of the Chinese Government will tend to smooth the way for the operations of the consortium in the future.
The Japanese Government will therefore be glad to make an identic announcement with the powers concerned in the sense suggested by the United States Government and at the same time to communicate it unitedly with the other powers to the Chinese Government [Page 565] to secure its understanding provided that the Governments of the powers concerned all agree to the step proposed.
With reference, however, to the communication to be made to the Chinese Government concerning the consortium I beg to draw your attention to fact that there is already a proposal which has been made by the British Chargé d’Affaires in China and which I presume is now being discussed by the Ministers of the powers concerned in Peking. Under these circumstances the Japanese Government deem it to be [expedient] and in consonance with the procedure so far followed in the matter to leave the preparation of the text of the proposed announcement, as well as the manner of communicating it to the Chinese Government, to the deliberation of the powers’ representatives in Peking and I beg to request you to be so good as to transmit the observations last made to your Government asking [it] at the same time to instruct the American Minister in China accordingly in case it finds itself disposed to look upon them with favor.”