No. 1318
United States Legation
Tokei Japan
Hon. James G. Blaine
Secretary of State

Sir,

Referring to my No. 1238 of date January 6th 1881 in relation to Mr. Angell’s dispatch concerning Corea and also to my interviews with His Excellency Ho Ju-Chang, His Imperial Chinese Majesty’s Chief Minister at this Court and his kind intervention with the Corean government to induce it to make a Treaty of Commerce and Friendship with the United States in accordance with the expressed wishes of the Chinese government. I now have the honor to enclose a copy of a communication from Mr. Ho in which he reports the result of his efforts in that behalf as communicated to him by His Excellency Chiu Hung-chi formerly the Corean Minister to this Court.
It is to be observed that this gentleman informs Mr. Ho that “the Corean government has been very desirous to hold intercourse with the United States of America but the people still have a little doubt about the advantages of foreign relations” and for that reason Mr. Ho’s proposal for opening negotiations with our government has not been accepted. In my opinion Mr. Ho and his government were moved thus to urge Corea to make a Treaty of Commerce and Friendship with the United States because at the time of their voluntary action in the premises, the Russian government as threatening China, and it was doubtless feared that Corea would be first appropriated by Russia as a base of operations, to foremost which it was supposed by the Chinese government to be essential that Corea should by Treaty assure to the United States certain rights and privileges within its waters and territory which Russia would be bound to respect. Now that Russia and China have come to a good understanding it is no longer desired by China (as I suppose) to be important or needful, that any such relations between Corea and the United States should be established.

I have the honor to be,
Sir,
Your obedient servant
Mr. A Bingham