Document 49: George Hawthorne Scidmore, American Consul, to Kōsai Inoue, Governor of the Kanagawa Prefecture, 10 March 1922, Japanese Foreign Ministry Archival Documents, Diplomatic Archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Tokyo.


Introduction

   Sanger evidently never saw the following letter, for she later claimed, "I waited for the reply of our American Consul. It did not come. Not only did the representative of my government refuse to make a formal request for my admittance, he did not even condescend to the courtesy of a reply to either of my messages. He did not explain the reasons for his indifference to the rights of an American citizen." She believed that she was admitted to Japan despite the lack of support from the American Consul. (Margaret Sanger, "Birth Control in China and Japan," 30 October 1922 [Document 37].)


American Consul George Hawthorne Scidmore to Governor of the Kanagawa Prefecture Kōsai Inoue

Yokohama, Japan,

[March 10, 1922]

Subject: Permit to Land for Mrs. Sanger and son.

Sir:

   I have the honor to state that I am advised that on board the S. S. TAIYO MARU, which has just arrived from San Francisco, is Mrs. Margaret Higgins Sanger, bearer of American passport no. 743, San Francisco series, dated February 8, 1922,[A] who is accompanied by her minor son, Grant Sanger, mentioned in her passport, and that no visa of a Japanese consular representative abroad has been secured on the passport.

In this connection, I have the honor to enclose herewith a letter dated to-day,[B] addressed to me, by Mrs. Sanger. I presume that some representative of your office, or of the Home Department of the Imperial Government will come to an understanding with Mrs. Sanger direct as to the conditions under which she will be permitted to remain in Japan.

   I shall esteem it a favor, if you will grant her special permit to land.

   I have the honor to be, Sir,

   Your obedient servant,

George H. Scidmore (signed)
American Consul General.

__________________________

A.For Sanger's passport, see image accompanying Document 3; for her passport application, see Passport Applications: Chicago, New York City, New Orleans, San Francisco and Seattle, 1914-1925, Volume 6: Special Series - San Francisco, 1922 [National Archives and Records Administration], p. 244.
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B.See Document 46.
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