File No. 894.001 M98/37.
The Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs to the American Ambassador.
Tokio, August 17, 1912.
Mr. Ambassador: In reference to the appointment of Mr. Knox, the United States Secretary of State, to be Special Ambassador to attend the funeral of His late Majesty, which your excellency was good enough to communicate to me when you called at this Department on the 12th instant, I have now the honor to inform your excellency that upon my reporting the matter at once to His Majesty my August Sovereign, His Majesty expressed high appreciation of this courtesy and charged me to convey His cordial thanks to your excellency’s Government. The appointment of Mr. Knox has also given great pleasure to the Government and the people of Japan; and although the Japanese Ambassador at Washington has already been instructed by telegraph to convey to His Excellency the President of the United States the thanks of the Imperial Family and the Government and the people of Japan, I beg to request that your excellency will be good enough also to transmit a similar expression of thanks to His Excellency the President.
I avail [etc.]