Office of the Historian

711.94/254033/35

Memorandum by the Chief of the Division of Far Eastern Affairs (Hamilton) to the Secretary of State

[Washington,] November 13, 1941.

Mr. Secretary: There are attached for your consideration with a view to possible presentation to the Japanese Ambassador tomorrow copies of documents as follows:

1.
A statement in regard to the attitudes of the United States and of Japan to the European war.94
2.
A statement in regard to non-discrimination in international commercial relations, accompanied by a draft marked “Unofficial, Exploratory, and Without Commitment” of a joint United States-Japanese declaration on economic policy.95
3.
A statement having reference to the question of the stationing of Japanese troops in China.96

It is suggested that in handing to the Japanese Ambassador the proposed statement in regard to the relations of Japan and of the United States toward the European war, you might make oral comment to the Ambassador condemnatory of Hitler’s policy of world conquest.

With regard to the “United States-Japanese declaration on economic policy”, it is believed that you will wish to have Mr. Pasvolsky,97 Mr. Feis,98 and Mr. Hawkins99 participate in a conference tomorrow morning to discuss the draft in question.

With regard to the statement on the question of the stationing of Japanese troops in China, we feel considerable misgivings about presenting that on this occasion in the light of the Japanese Minister’s approach to Mr. Ballantine of today.1

M[axwell] M. H[amilton]
  1. See draft of oral statement dated November 14, p. 591.↩
  2. See oral statement and draft document as revised and handed to Japanese Ambassador on November 15, Foreign Relations, Japan, 1931–1941, vol. ii, pp. 734, 736.↩
  3. See draft or oral statement of November 14, p. 593; draft of November 13 was “not used”.↩
  4. Leo Pasvolsky, Special Assistant to the Secretary of State and Chief of the Division of Special Research.↩
  5. Herbert Feis, Adviser on International Economic Affairs.↩
  6. Harry C. Hawkins, Chief of the Division of Commercial Policy and Agreements.↩
  7. See memorandum of November 13, 1941, Foreign Relations, Japan, 1931–1941, vol. ii, p. 729.↩