033.9411/307: Telegram
The Ambassador in Japan (Grew) to the Secretary of State
Tokyo, October 5, 1937—6
p.m.
[Received October 5—11:45 a.m.]
[Received October 5—11:45 a.m.]
449. Our 448, October 5, 5 p.m.83
- 1.
- Kojiro Matsukata, one of the principal members of the unofficial group shortly to visit the United States, called on me today “to have a talk” before his departure on the 14th. He said that he would remain in the United States anywhere from 2 to 6 months visiting several of the larger cities especially Chicago, New York and Washington. He emphasized that he is not going as a “good will envoy” but merely as a business man seeking business contacts. With regard to the precise purpose of his trip he explained briefly that Japan is in need of several commodities notably oil, scrap iron and trucks, especially oil, [Page 581] and that his primary purpose is to secure a supply of these commodities.
- 2.
- Matsukata referred to the complete reversal of sentiment in Japan away from Great Britain and towards the United States and said that in recent conversation with a large number of Japanese officials, naval officers particularly expressed great indignation against Great Britain. It was felt in Japanese official circles that the representations of the American Government in the present conflict were reasonable and were apparently so formulated as to take into account Japanese susceptibilities but that the tone of British representations had been consistently offensive. It was also felt that British diplomatic and naval officers in China had repeatedly shown their hostility toward Japan. He cited the British note concerning the Hugessen85 incident, the use by Chinese of British docks in Shanghai to facilitate the mining of a Japanese warship, the publicity given by British officials to the charge of Chinese fishermen that their vessels had been sunk by a Japanese submarine and several other matters. He said Hugessen is well known to be hostile to Japan.
- 3.
- Carrying on this line of thought Matsukata said that Japan would heartily welcome offer by the United States of good offices in the direction of peace between Japan and China whereas it would not welcome a similar offer from Great Britain. He repeatedly urged that if the United States should decide to act along this line it should do so alone and not in concert with the British Government. He also stated that he has reason to believe that any such offer by the American Government, if made even today, would be well received by the Japanese Government.
- 4.
- I warned Matsukata that he would find public opinion in the United States inhospitable to Japanese claims that the Chinese Government is responsible for the present conflict; that Japan had recently done much to render difficult the application to Japan of the “good neighbor policy”; and that the American Government must listen to public opinion in shaping its own policy and action.
- 5.
- There has been during the past few days a concerted attack by the Japanese press on British attitude and policy and we have in preparation a telegram on this subject which will cover the suggestion made by Matsukata as reported in paragraph 3 above. I may state here briefly that we are skeptical of any useful purpose being served by mediation or offer of good offices at this time.
Grew