893.34/193: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Japan (Warren)
100. Your 136 of August 10, 3 p.m.99 and your 141 of August 24, 3 p.m.99
This Department’s memoranda of May 4, 1922, and July 25, while dealing with the specific case of the contract of the Bethlehem Steel Corporation, was of course a statement of the policy which this Government purposed following not only in that specific case, but in similar cases as well, provided the other interested Powers were of like mind. Therefore, this Government is glad to assure the Japanese Government that it will assume the attitude described in the memoranda above mentioned in other cases similar to that of the Bethlehem Steel Corporation. Any other policy would obviously discriminate against the established rights of that corporation.
You may so inform the Japanese Government in reply to its note of August 9.99
[Page 756]Since the Governments of Great Britain, France and Italy have accepted the proposal made in the Department’s memorandum of May 4, which of course did not contemplate or imply that the American Government would in any circumstance support any other project similar to the Bethlehem contract, Department does not feel that it is necessary to reopen the question with these three Governments, particularly as they appear to understand the intent and purpose of this Government as set forth in the May 4 memorandum.