740.0011 European War 1939/15301: Telegram
The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Steinhardt) to the Secretary of State
[Received 2:50 p.m.]
1695. I learn indirectly but from a source that I believe to be reliable that members of the Japanese Embassy here are not impressed by the progress of the campaign against the Soviet Union, although I understand that the Germans are keeping the Japanese fully informed and are emphasizing their successes. Japan is said to believe that Germany cannot long continue to support the heavy losses which they have been suffering.
The Japanese Naval Attaché stated to my informant that the Soviet Far Eastern Army has not only not been weakened since the outbreak of the Soviet-German war but in some respects has been strengthened. He said that regardless of German successes in the west he did not [Page 1019] believe that Japan would attack the Soviet Union as long as the morale of the Soviet Far Eastern Army remained high but that if the country should begin to disintegrate Japan would probably take advantage of the situation.
Repeated to Tokyo.