894c.111/17: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Chargé in Japan ( Bell )5
3. Under date of October 25th the Legation at Peking informed the Department by telegraph6 that the British Legation had stated that its instructions permitted it to join the American Legation in nearly identic notes to the Japanese Minister and Chinese Foreign Office, stating that it could no longer acquiesce in application of Japanese passport regulations. The Department instructed the Legation at Peking7 that while similar independent action by the British Legation would be welcome, it did not feel that joint action would be desirable. The American Minister was instructed to explain this to the British Legation and separately to inform the Japanese Minister that this Government believed that reasons for continuance of temporary wartime passport inspection on Japanese railways in China had now ceased. On November 2, 1920, the American Legation duly informed the Japanese Legation8 of this Government’s views in this matter and stated that it was taking steps to inform American Consuls of the withdrawal of the American acquiescence in the further application of these regulations. The Japanese Minister informed the American Legation that he had referred the matter to his Government and that he did not know whether the Japanese Government would consent. The Japanese [Page 350] Minister took the stand that the American Government had not assented to the regulations but was merely informed of them. This Government of course cannot assent to the stand taken by the Japanese Minister as it does not concede that the Japanese Government has ever been granted the right to scrutinize the passports of American citizens within Chinese territory. At the request of the Japanese Minister the American Legation deferred notification to American consuls. The Department is informed however that the Legation has not as yet received any reply from the Japanese Legation to its communication of November 2nd. The Department deeming that sufficient time has passed for this matter to have received the consideration of the Japanese Government, is authorizing the American Legation to notify Consuls in China that American acquiescence in the temporary regulations for the control of passports on Japanese railway lines in China is withdrawn on and after January 15, 1921. You may bring above to the attention of Japanese Foreign Office for its information.
- The same in substance, Jan. 3, 7 p.m., to the Ambassador in Great Britain (no. 4) with the following instructions: “You may bring the above to the attention of the British Foreign Office for its information, in case it desires to take similar action.”↩
- Foreign Relations, 1920, vol. iii, p. 39.↩
- Telegram of Oct. 28, 1920, ibid., p. 40.↩
- See telegram of Nov. 6, 1920, from the Minister in China, ibid., p. 40.↩