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Naval History and Heritage Command

Naval History and Heritage Command

Third Assistant Secretary of State Breckenridge Long to Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels

October 23, 1917.

The Honorable,

     The Secretary of the Navy.

Sir:

     The Department has just been advised by a member of the Imperial Japanese Mission that an arrangement has been made between Admiral Takeshita, of that Mission,1 and Admiral Benson, United States Navy, Chief of Operations in the Navy Department,2 that a Japanese ship of War shall displace the United States ship “Saratoga” in the protection of Honolulu and the Hawaiian Islands. A suggestion has been made that the Japanese ship of war above indicated cannot be dispatched for the above purpose upon formal request on the part of this Government to the proper Department of the Imperial Japanese Government.

     If you will be good enough to corroborate the above facts, and to make the request to this Department, I will be glad to take up immediately with the appropriate Department of the Japanese Government the proposal requesting the Japanese War ship for the purpose above indicated.

     I am, Sir,

          Your obedient servant,

Source Note: TL, DLC-MSS, Breckenridge Long Papers, Box 26.

Footnote 1: VAdm. Isamu Takeshita, formerly Japan’s Naval Attaché to the United States (1902-1905), was a member of the diplomatic mission Japan-headed by Viscount Kikujiro Ishii-sent to the United States in 1917 upon the latter’s entrance into World War I. The mission departed Tokyo on 6 July, arriving in San Francisco on 13 August after a brief stop in Honolulu seven days’ prior.

Footnote 2: Adm. William S. Benson.