494.11 L 25/15: Telegram
The Ambassador in Japan (Woods) to the Secretary of State
[Received April 28—9:28 a.m.]
86. Department’s 49, April 8, 4 p.m., and my despatch no. 403–E, April 1, 1924.79 My recommendation was based on the assumption, which was clearly indicated in the Department’s instruction no. 170, March 19, 1923, that what the Department primarily desired in making the claim originally was to obtain monetary assistance for Langdon’s family to relieve their need. Knowing the temper of the Japanese War Office in regard to this case, and the difficulty I have experienced in getting them to take any action at all, it seemed to me that a refusal of the present offer would only result in [omission?] delay without any corresponding hope of securing an increase in the amount offered. This is particularly true at this juncture on account of the present feeling here over the immigration situation. If, however, as would now appear to be the case from the Department’s telegram under reference, it was the intention of the Department to demand punitive damages for the purpose of establishing Japanese responsibility for the unfortunate affair, then the reply of the Foreign Office is obviously unsatisfactory. However, I declined [decline to?] regard the acceptance of the settlement proposed by the Japanese Government as necessarily carrying the implication that our Government would be unwilling to confront a discussion of this case on its merits.
- Not printed.↩