711.942/522a: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Japan ( Grew )

34. Department’s 32, January 23, 4 p.m., penultimate paragraph, status of Japanese treaty merchants.

On the afternoon of January 23 the Counselor of the Japanese Embassy called on an officer of the Department to discuss this matter and urged that the Department agree to initial a minute on the subject. The opinion was expressed to the Counselor that the drawing up and initialing of any minute in reference to such a matter would be inappropriate and would lead to misunderstanding and misinterpretation. The Counselor was informed, however, that the Department’s reply to a note which had been received from the Japanese Embassy a few days previously relating to Japanese who made frequent visits from Seattle to Vancouver would contain a statement in substantial conformity with the statement given by Mr. Berle to the Japanese Ambassador.

This reply, which went forward to the Japanese Embassy on January 24, included inter alia information along the lines of the penultimate paragraph of the Department’s telegram under reference and a statement as follows:

“The appropriate branches of the Government have decided that Japanese merchants now in this country under treaty provisions need not, upon termination of the treaty, take any action toward changing their status as residents of the United States and that the administrative authorities of this Government will for the time being take no action in this matter provided there is no violation of the terms of admission of such Japanese merchants under the provisions of Section 3 (6) of the Immigration Act of 1924, as amended.”

Hull