740.0011 Pacific War/1345: Telegram
The Ambassador in France (Leahy) to the Secretary of State
[Received 9 p.m.]
1591. Ostrorog80 read to us this morning portions of a telegram which the Foreign Office had received from Arsène-Henry81 in Tokyo. According to Henry’s information, two or three hours before the attack on Hawaii commenced, Ambassador Grew had been summoned to the Foreign Office and the Emperor’s reply to President Roosevelt’s message had been delivered to him. The message was apparently calm and reassuring in so far as Japanese-American relations were concerned and the American Embassy had expected no sudden aggression. It was only three hours later that they heard that Hawaii and the Philippines had been attacked.
Henry’s telegram went on to say that it had not been possible for him to ascertain what group or groups were responsible for Japan’s attack on the United States. There were indications however that “the attack might have been arranged by the military and naval groups who wished to have their war without the knowledge of the Japanese civil government”. There were unconfirmed rumors that certain Japanese civil officials and members of the Diet had tendered their resignations.
Henry reported that while at first the members of the American and British Diplomatic Missions had been instructed to remain in their Embassies, surveillance had become increasingly severe and finally a cordon of Japanese police had been thrown around the buildings and no communication was permitted to be sent into or from our Embassy. Henry, who succeeded Grew as Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, requested permission in his capacity as Dean to see Grew to take over the archives pertaining to this position. His request was refused by the Japanese. He has also according to the telegram “protested energetically” as Dean of the Diplomatic Corps over the manner in which American and British diplomats are being held and not permitted to communicate with anyone.
The telegram went on to say that the Japanese were arresting all foreigners in Japan and this had caused great anxiety among the small white population which still remains there. They fear that when Japan is bombed, there will be internal disorder and that all white persons may be massacred.
[Page 762]Ostrorog promised to give us any further news of our diplomats in Tokyo which the Foreign Office may receive.