West Across the Pacific: American Involvement in East Asia from 1898 to the Vietnam War
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West Across the Pacific: American Involvement in East Asia from 1 ...

Chapter 2:  The Open Door and Yesterday’s China
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Bryce’s “very confidential” report from the United States dealt with personalities at the State Department:

I learn that Mr. Huntington Wilson, Assistant Secretary of State and at present the Acting Secretary during the summer absence of Mr. Knox from Washington, indulged in language of unbecoming strength with reference to the Russo-Japanese convention, and particularly with regard to what he regards as Great Britain’s share in its conclusion…His voice, although of a subordinate who enjoys little weight among his countrymen, and, I should imagine, none at all with the President, probably carries a certain weight in the State Department (owing to the not very keen interest taken by Mr. Knox in the affairs of his office).

But “more important” were “similar expressions” by Miller, head of the Far East Department.17

Regarding Wilson and Miller, the British foreign secretary later received the following estimate from Sir Claude MacDonald, the British ambassador at Tokyo, who had known them both in the Far East. Wilson, he said, was “tactlessly hostile to the people of this country [Japan].” He had “a pretty and clever wife to whose influence was due his transfer to the State Department.” Miller, however, “knows Japanese” and “has sound judgment.” And he added (somewhat gratuitously), “In my fifteen years’ experience in the Far East I have found the Americans quite ready to change their policy when it suited them without in any way considering others. They are also past masters in the policy of extracting the chestnuts, or attempting to do so, by means of others.”

MacDonald then proceeded to give “notable instances” of this sort of thing. He cited the “perpetual lease question” of 1901, on which Britain had demanded arbitration, but the United States had refused to support her on the grounds that “the Japanese house tax was reasonable.” But with German and French support, a settlement by arbitration was obtained, and “then the Americans said that though they did not approve arbitration in principle, yet their subjects would of course benefit by any advantage which it might bring…now they are second to us in perpetual lease holds.”