Wells Williams to William H. Seward, June 8, 1874

Mr. Williams to Mr. Seward.

Sir: I have received your dispatch of the 30th ultimo, No. 368, with inclosures of copies of a letter from Minister Bingham, and your circular letter to the southern consuls, both relating to the Japanese expedition to Formosa.

I received a letter from Mr. Bingham of the same date as yours, and have informed the foreign office of his action in stopping the steamer New York, and urging the Japanese government to detach the American officers engaged in the expedition. The information respecting this whole affair in their possession was somewhat erroneous, and they were under the impression that the New York was a man-of-war, and Messrs. Le Gendre, Cassel, and Wasson were the leaders and commanders of the expedition.

I inclose a dispatch for Mr. Henderson, of Amoy, which may strengthen your circular in showing that the enterprise Mr. Cassel and Mr. Wasson are engaged in, is one which they cannot lawfully aid. I trust they will have already left it before the dispatch reaches Amoy.

The Chinese government will be much re-assured to learn that the United States authorities are determined to take all proper measures to restrain Americans from assisting this Japanese invasion of Formosa, consistent with treaty obligations; but they have exhibited so much hesitation in their action that they have missed the full effects it would have had upon the local officials at the ports, if these latter had early been informed how the expedition was regarded.

I think their own want of precise information had something to do with their inaction, and I made it a reason for urging them to set up a telegraph-wire between the capital and southern provinces, by which they could learn such things sooner. It will be the most intelligible argument to them for encouraging the telegraph, when they begin to see their awkward position in an affair like this, because they have it not.

I am, &c.,