711.94/1334: Telegram
The Ambassador in Japan (Grew) to the Secretary of State
[Received November 4—1:30 p.m.]
574. 1. In my conversation today with the Foreign Minister7 the procedure set forth in paragraphs 4 and 5 of my 562, October 31, 2 p.m.8 was closely followed. In addition to the two documents mentioned I left with the Minister a chronological statement of our written representations to the Japanese Government since the commencement of the present hostilities in China showing which of those representations have been answered and which have not been answered. A prefatory page states that this list does not necessarily present a complete accounting of instances in which American citizens or American rights or interests have suffered interference, discrimination, indignities or damage as a result of Japanese activities. The recapitulation shows that of 382 representations made 256 have not been acknowledged. I pointed out to the Minister that not all or many of the 116 replies received could be regarded by us as satisfactory. In the case of 10 representations replies were not necessarily required. I requested the Minister to be good enough to read all of these documents in order to obtain a clear picture of the situation.
[Page 594]2. In the course of my presentation I said that in my opinion the coming months might be irregular in American-Japanese relations and I urged with all earnestness that steps be promptly taken to implement the assurances repeatedly given by the Minister’s predecessors that American rights and interests in China would be respected.
3. The Minister many times read from a document presumably prepared by his staff. He expressed regret for the delay in receiving me which was due to the fact that he had only recently taken office and had been obliged to familiarize himself with the problems thereof. He spoke pleasantly of my work during the past 7 years in the interests of Japanese-American relations and of the report of my recent visit to the United States as expressed in my speech October 1 [19] before the America-Japanese Society. He said that he fully shares my desire for better relations between our two countries. He said that in international relations both sides must have full appreciation of the standpoint and views of each other. Both the United States and Japan are stabilizing influences in their respective regions and he realizes that both desire to remain apart from the disastrous effects of the European war.
4. The Minister said that there appears to be a misunderstanding on the part of the United States that Japan intends to drive American interests out of China. I replied that quite apart from any future intention the fact remains that American interests are being driven out of China. The Minister observed that American assistance in the reconstruction of China is going to be absolutely indispensable.
5. The Minister requested us to bear in mind the following points:
- (a)
- Japan is engaged in warfare on a scale unprecedented in Japanese history and great stakes including the expense of many lives and much treasure are involved. Japan’s paramount object is to convert an anti-Japanese China into a China sympathetic to Japan. In the Minister’s personal opinion Japan and China must live in good neighborhood and prosper in a common way. If third powers help China to antagonize Japan, stabilization will be impossible.
- (b)
- The Minister expressed the hope that the United States will give better appreciation of the extent to which the Japanese authorities in China are endeavoring to protect American property in China. They are doing their best under abnormal and difficult conditions. The United States is evidently not satisfied but the Minister hopes to give concrete facts of the care taken. This referred to bombings and other encroachments. I mentioned the subject of Japanese monopolies. The Minister said he thought that such monopolies were set up purely for purposes of price control.
6. At the end of the conversation the Minister said that he was now discussing these various matters with his colleagues in the Cabinet and with the Prime Minister.
7. We then agreed on a communiqué to the Japanese press stating simply in effect that we had explored the field of Japanese-American [Page 595] relations in a mutually constructive spirit. He, however, authorized me to tell the American press correspondents that I had presented the American point of view in general and in detail. This was done.
- See the Ambassador’s memorandum of November 4, ibid., p. 31.↩
- Not printed.↩