Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, With the Annual Message of the President Transmitted to Congress December 3, 1906, (In two parts), Part I

The Secretary of State to the Japanese chargé d’ affaires.

Department of State,
Washington, April 13, 1906.

My Dear Mr. Hioki: I inclose, in the form of a memorandum, my response to the unsigned and undated memorandum you gave me yesterday concerning the evacuation of Manchuria.

While sending you this formal paper, I have the pleasure to acknowledge also your personal and informal memorandum which accompanied the same and in which you discuss the military and practical difficulties in the way of admitting foreigners to the evacuated territory.

I can not believe that American citizens will be likely to add to the embarrassments of your military commanders in any appreciable degree.

Thanking you for the information, I am, my dear Mr. Hioki,

Faithfully, yours,

Elihu Root.

memorandum.

Department of State,
Washington, April 13, 1906.

The Secretary of State has taken note of the undated and unsigned memorandum which was handed to him yesterday by the imperial chargé d’affaires of Japan, in relation to the steps taken and intended to be taken with reference to the evacuation of Manchuria and the opening of that territory to foreign commerce and travel.

The Department of State learns with much pleasure that, considerable progress having now been made in respect to the withdrawal of the troops from Manchuria, the Japanese Government have decided, in accordance with the principles of the open door and equal opportunity ever advocated by them, to permit citizens and vessels of foreign countries to enter An-tung-hsien and Tatatung-kou from May 1 and to allow foreign consuls to proceed to their post at An-tung-hsien from the same date. It is also noted that from June 1 foreign consuls will be allowed to proceed to their post at Mukden and the traveling of foreigners in the interior of Manchuria will be generally permitted in so far as military exigencies do not prevent it; and, further, that the Japanese Government will open Dairen to the commerce of the world in as near future as possible.

The Government of the United States will forthwith take steps to cause the consuls of the United States to reach their respective posts at Antung and Mukden on the several dates of May 1 and June 1, proximo, or as soon thereafter as may be practicable.

With the establishment of consular representation on the spot and with the qualified admission of foreigners to travel and residence in the Manchurian territory (subject, as stated in the Japanese memorandum, to the impossibility of the Japanese authorities affording protection, facilities in regard to houses, and other matters for such foreign travelers) this Government does not doubt that the improved opportunities of intercourse between citizens of the United States and the native population of Manchuria will be mutually agreeable and beneficial.