Japan and China are isolated and without intercourse with other countries; hence the President directed me to attend to or watch the state of affairs in China also.

In case of war, a treaty would have to be made at the end of the war.

Any nation that refuses to hold intercourse with other nations must expect to be excluded from this family.

If I write in my name to the agents of England and France residing in Asia and inform them that Japan is ready to make a commercial treaty with their countries, the number of steamers will be reduced from fifty to two or three.

It appears that the English think the Japanese... are fond of opium, and they want to bring it here also.

If war should break out between England and Japan, the latter would suffer much more than the former.

The President regards the Japanese as a brave people; but courage, though useful in time of war, is subordinate to knowledge of arts; hence, courage without such knowledge is not to be highly esteemed.