894.628 Vessels/191
The Japanese Ambassador ( Saito ) to the Secretary of State
The Japanese Ambassador presents his compliments to the Honorable the Secretary of State and, with reference to the Secretary’s note of May 11, 1937, has the honor to state that the Ambassador’s note No. 83 of April 6, 193743 did not seem to explain sufficiently the reasons for the proposed visit of the Hakuyo-Maru to St. Paul Island and that he, therefore, takes the liberty of again informing the Secretary as follows:
The Tokio Fishery Institute belongs to the Department of Agriculture and Forestry of the Japanese Government and a part of the expenses of the students in the Institute are defrayed by the Government. The Japanese Government also appoints every year many of its graduates to the various Departments and some of them are undoubtedly engaged in performing the obligations provided for in the so-called Fur Seals Treaty of 1911. The proposed visit of the Hakuyo-Maru to St. Paul Island is to give its students an opportunity to acquaint themselves with conditions in connection with the breeding of fur seals and the facilities provided for their protection while breeding, as stated in the Ambassador’s note of April 6.
The Ambassador is well aware that it has been the practice of the American Government to cooperate with the Japanese Government in the carrying out of the purposes of the Fur Seals Treaty, and he trusts that the American Government, through the good offices of the Secretary, will reconsider the matter in the above light. He would be very happy if the American Government would see its way to giving its consent to the proposed visit in question of the Hakuyo-Maru.
- Not printed.↩