Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1912-05-01
MAGDALE BAY
GHOST IS LAID
President Sends Message to
Congress Denying Japa-
nese Encroachment
SECRETARY KNOX'S REPORT
Rumors Grew Out of American
Syndicate's Attempt to
Sell Concession.

tBy Special Leased Wire 10 New Mexican)
Washington, D. c., May 1.-Presi-
dent Taft today informed the Senate
that the department of state has no
evidence whatever adequate to show
any acquisition of land or any inten-
tion or desire to acquire land, whether
directly or indirectly in Mexico by or
on the part of the imperial japanese
government. The Presidents mes
sage was in response to a Senate res
olutior calling for information regard
ing an alleged purchase of land at
Magdalena Bay by the Japanese gov
ernment or by Japanese company.
MagdaIena Bay Report.
With his brief message, the Presi,
dent transmitted a full report from
Secretary of State Knox.
There is nothing on file in the de-
partment of state,' said the secretary,
that has justified any inference that
the Mexican government or the i'm
perial Japanese government has been
occupied with any disposition of land
near Magdalena Bay by which the lat
ter government would acquire land
there for any purpose
Department Not Concerned.
In these circumstances, the depart
ment of state felt no necessity for
further steps in the matter of any of
these rumors, which are of kind
that all too frequently occur to the
detriment of public opinion in the re-
spective countries and are so alien to
the cordial relations of the govern
ments concerned.
How the Rumors Grew.
Mr.. Knox said the Japanese ambas-
sador had informed the department
that he has apprised his government
of the rumors in question which had
come through the public press and sub
sequently the ambassador made, with
his governments authorization, an un-
reserved and categorical denial of the
rumored purchase of land by the JAP
anese government or by Japanese
company, characterizing the report as
entirely sensational and utterly with
out any foundation whatever, the jap
anese government having never di-
rectly or indirectly attem Jted or con-
templated the acquisition of any land
at Magdalena Bay for any purpose.
Secretary Knox said the rumors re-
garding a japanese purchase evident
ly arose from efforts by American
syndicates to dispose of certain lands
near Magdalena Bay.
American Syndicate Owned Land.
This American syndicate according
to the departments information given
in Secretary Knoxs report, entered
upon negotiations for sale to JAP
anese syndicate. Meantime an effort
was made to ascertain the attitude of
the American government toward such
a transaction. There was evidence,
Secretary Knox said, that the Ameri-
can syndicate felt or knew that Jap
anese capitalists would not care to
consummate the purchase without the
approval of the Japanese government
and that the latter would not. give its
approval unless assured the transac-
ton would be unobjectionable to the
United States.
State Department Frowned on Scheme.
etr nj Of .fnf 70 do
plain to the American syndicate that
such transfer of lands would be in
terrupted in some quarters in a man
ner to cause great outcry and that
such result would be so obviously
cause of regret to the government
of the United States that it would ap-
pear unnecessary further to comment
on the disposition of the federal gov
ernment in the premises
The American syndicate, it appears
then sought to ascertain the attitude
of the American government toward a
company composed of Japanese in
vestors, the Americans retaining con-
troll of the property. To this PROPOSE
ton the department replied that it
could add nothing to it's former state
ment. Since this reply the files of the
department disclose no further COM
munication with the Americans inter.
ested in the lands.
Under these circumstances, Secre-
tary Knox declared: "The department
cannot assume there is any project on
foot calling for action on the part of
the United States
To Supplement Monroe Doctrine.
The message preoipitated debate
in the Senate. Senators Bacon and
Lodge concurred in the opinion that if
the Monroe doctrine didn't cover the
situation, new doctrine covering it
could be created.
Explaining his reasons for calling
for the correspondence Mr.. Lodge said
II was to prevent the development of
any embarrassing situation with ref
erence to Mexico and Japan. He said
the time had come when the United
States should take the position that
neither directly nor indirectly could
any foreign government obtain the con.
troll of land in this hemisphere that
might constitute menace to the
United States.
Senator Rayner said that if Japan
established base of supplies O rcoal.