793.94/594½
The Secretary of State to
President Wilson
Washington,
October 20, 1917
.
Dear Mr. President: If it meets with your
approval I propose to request Viscount Ishii to file with his note of
confirmation completing
[Page 445]
the
exchange a confidential memorandum such as the one here enclosed.
I am hastening this matter as rapidly as possible because it takes him
several days to communicate with his Government.17
Faithfully yours,
[Enclosure]
Draft of Confidential Memorandum to Accompany the
Reply of the Japanese Government in Proposed Exchange of
Notes
In the preliminary draft note dealing with questions relating to the
Republic of China, which are of mutual interest to Japan and the
United States and which, on September 26, 1917, was submitted by the
Government of the United States to the Government of Japan for their
consideration, there appeared, following the declaration by the two
Governments of their adherence to the so-called “Open Door” policy,
a further declaration “that they will not take advantage of present
conditions to seek special rights and privileges in China which
would abridge the rights of the citizens or subjects of other
friendly states.”
For certain reasons of expediency, which have been orally explained
to the Government of the United States, the Government of Japan
considered it to be unwise to include the above-quoted declaration
in the proposed note, and it was, therefore, stricken out by mutual
consent.
In order, however, to avoid misconstruction being placed upon this
amendment of the note, the Government of Japan desire to affirm that
by doing so there was no purpose on their part to assert a contrary
principle or policy, and that the elimination of the declaration has
no significance whatsoever in determining the terms of the note as
finally agreed upon by the two Governments.
