CO129-343 - Public Offices & Foreign Office - 1907 — Page 154

which require only a four years' course.

I beg therefore to request, under instructions from

my Government, that an appropriate enquiry may be made

in this regard so that I may be thereby enabled to report

to the Secretary of State upon the specific discrimi-

nation complained of.

(Signed)

I have &c.,

John Ridgely Carter.

Dear Sir!-

151

AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION,

COMMITTEE ON MEDICAL LEGISLATION,

THE GROTEN, CINCINNATI,

OHIO,

December 26th, 1906.

The attention of this office has been called to

the fact that, in Hongkong and other British territory in

the Orient, the graduates of American medical schools are

not permitted to practise, but that such privilege is ex-

tended to the graduates of Japanese medical schools.

The

Enclosure.

Mr. C. H. L. Reed to Mr. Root, December 26th, 1906.

reason given for the exclusion of American medical prac-

titioners is that they are graduated on a four years'

course instead of a five years' course of instruction, such

as is required in the medical schools of Great Britain.

This would be a very tenable ground if, as represented to

this office, it were not true that the Japanese schools re-

quire but four years for graduation. If this is true the

prohibition against

American medical practitioners amounts

to an unfair discrimination and one which involves the

prestige of the entire American medical profession.

The Honourable

Elihu Root,

Secretary of State,

Washington, D.C.

I