File No. 894.001Y8/28.
Ambassador Guthrie to the Secretary of State.
Tokyo, November 26, 1915.
Sir: I have the honor to report that the formal accession to the Throne of His Majesty the Emperor of Japan duly took place as prescribed in the series of events scheduled in the “Imperial Ordinance Relative to the Accession to the Throne of His Imperial Majesty” which I have already had the honor of forwarding to the Department. The chief ceremonies took place upon November 10, the days following being filled with ceremonies of lesser importance. The representation of the United States was augmented by the presence of the Commander-in-Chief of the Asiatic Fleet of the United States and his suite.
On November 11 the vernacular newspapers all printed a despatch, in the vein of the following extract taken from the Nichi Nichi Shimbun of that date:
According to the telegram from Washington, President Wilson sent a congratulatory telegram to the Emperor of Japan, on the occasion of his Coronation, sending his heartfelt congratulations on that auspicious occasion, and at the same time sincerely hoping for the welfare of His Majesty the Emperor and of the Royal Family, and for the continuation of the friendly relations between Japan and the United States.
The latter days of the festivities were saddened by the very sudden death of his excellency Señor Francisco J. Herboso, the Minister of Chile, on November 17, at the Kyoto Hotel, where the American Representation was entertained by the Government together with the representatives of most of the Diplomatic Corps. His funeral, at which representatives of Their Majesties the Emperor and the Empress were present, took place on November 25.
I have [etc.]