Mr. Takahira to Mr. Hay.
Washington, March 24, 1904.
Sir: Under instructions from Baron Komura, His Imperial Majesty’s minister for foreign affairs, I have the honor to request [Page 433] that, in order to enable the Japanese Government to bring back two members of the consular staff and about 600 Japanese subjects who are still being detained by ice at Korsakov, Saghalien Island, and who are believed to be suffering from scarcity of food, the United States Government will have the goodness to instruct His Excellency Ambassador McCormick to take the following steps:
- 1.
- To obtain the consent of the Russian Government to the dispatch by the Japanese Government of a neutral ship to Korsakov, in order to bring back the Japanese subjects and officials above referred to.
- 2.
- Upon the consent being obtained from the Russian Government, to take proper steps to communicate the fact to the Japanese consulate at Korsakov, so that they may make necessary arrangements for the embarkation of the refugees, as well as for their own withdrawal.
- 3.
- To arrange with the Japanese consulate at Korsakov for apprising the Japanese Government, through the United States commercial agency at Vladivostok, as to the proper time for the dispatch of the relief steamer.
In making the above request I beg to assure you that with such request complied with the Imperial Government will have largely to add to their sense of gratitude they feel toward the United States Government for many acts of friendship clone since the unfortunate occurrence of the present situation in the Far East.
Accept, etc.,