711.9412Anti-War/25: Telegram
The Ambassador in Japan (MacVeagh) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 26—4:17 a.m.]
66. My telegram No. 65, May 22, 5 p.m.72 The Minister for Foreign Affairs handed to me at 10:30 this morning the following reply of the Japanese Government:
“Monsieur l’Ambassadeur: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of Your Excellency’s note number 336 of April 13th, last,73 transmitting to me, under instructions from the Government of the United States, the preliminary draft of a proposed multilateral treaty representing in a general way a form of treaty which the Government of the United States is prepared to sign with the French, British, German, Italian and Japanese Governments and any other governments similarly disposed, with the object of securing the renunciation of war. At the same time Your Excellency enclosed a copy of the correspondence recently exchanged between the Governments of the United States and the French Republic commencing with a proposal put forward by Monsieur Briand in June, 1927; and you intimated that the Government of the United States desired to be informed whether the Japanese Government were in a position to give favorable consideration to the conclusion of such a treaty as that of which you enclosed a draft—and if not, what specific modification in the text would make it acceptable.
I beg to inform Your Excellency that the Government of Japan sympathize warmly with the high and beneficent aims of the proposal now made by the United States, which they take to imply the entire abolition of the institution of war, and that they will be glad to render their most cordial cooperation towards the attainment of that end.
The proposal of the United States is understood to contain nothing that would refuse to independent states the right of self-defense, and nothing which is incompatible with the obligations of agreements guaranteeing the public peace, such as are embodied in the Covenant of the League of Nations and the treaties of Locarno. Accordingly, the Imperial Government firmly believe that unanimous agreement on a mutually acceptable text for such a treaty as is contemplated is well capable of realization by discussion between the six powers referred to, and they would be happy to collaborate with cordial good will in the discussions with the purpose of securing what they are persuaded is the common desire of all the peoples of the world—namely, the cessation of wars and the definite establishment among the nations of an era of permanent and universal peace.
I avail myself of this occasion to renew to Your Excellency, Monsieur l’Ambassadeur the assurance of my highest consideration. Baron Giichi Tanaka, Minister.”
I asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs whether the words “the proposal of the United States is understood” meant that it is the understanding of Japan and after comparing the original with the translation he replied, “Yes, this is the meaning of the language used in the Japanese original.”
The note will be given out to the press here today at 5 p.m. Tokyo time,