Foreign Relations of the United States Diplomatic Papers, 1941, The Far East, Volume IV

711.94/254033/35

Memorandum Prepared in the Department of State

November 15, 1941

Points Raised Orally on November 15 by the Secretary of State With the Japanese Ambassador (Not Included in Written “Oral Statement”)²²

1. The Japanese, in their proposal of September 25,²³ in the economic sections and in the section in regard to peaceful intent, limit the scope of the agreement to the“southwestern Pacific area”. Our draft of June 21²⁴ included the entire “Pacific area”.

2. Does not this indicate that the Japanese Government, in presenting its redraft of September 25, had in mind a more limited program than we had and have in mind? Would it not be desirable for the Japanese Government to clarify whether it desires our discussions and proposals to cover the entire Pacific area or a small part thereof before seeking a definitive reply to its proposals by this Government?

3. There are, of course, other questions of detail in the Japanese proposal of September 25 which need clarification.

4. The Japanese have urged an immediate and definitive reply to their proposals and have also urged that a simultaneous agreement be made with Great Britain. These two desires of the Japanese Government would not seem to be consistent.

5. We still consider our discussions with the Japanese to be informal exploratory conversations and not negotiations.

22. See Foreign Relations, Japan, 1931–1941, vol. ii, pp. 731 and 734.
23. ibid., p. 637.
24. Ibid., p. 486.