756.94/175: Telegram
The Ambassador in Japan (Grew) to the Secretary of State
[Received September 11—9:55 a.m.]
816. Our 762, August 28 [29], 9 [5] p.m.
1. My Netherlands colleague has made available to me a copy of the Netherlands memorandum dated September 4 which is in reply to the memorandum handed to him by the Japanese Government on August 27. The following is a summary of the Netherlands reply.
[Page 106]2. The Netherlands Minister apologizes for the delay in reply to the Japanese memorandum of August 27 and expresses the appreciation of his Government for the appointment of Kobayashi, a Cabinet Minister, to go as Japanese representative to the Netherlands East Indies.
The Governor General will wish to receive the mission personally but his position as Viceroy will prohibit his taking part in the deliberations. The Netherlands Government will appoint a high state dignitary as its representative.
It is hoped that the Japanese Government will understand that some time will be required for careful study of the Japanese desiderata, a delay which might have been avoided had the Japanese Government, as verbally requested some time ago by the Netherlands Minister, communicated the details in advance.
It is the understanding of the Netherlands Government that the scope of the discussions will not include political matters but will be of an exclusively economic character.
3. On September 6 the Netherlands Minister informed the Japanese Government that the Netherlands Indies authorities would designate as the Netherlands special representative Mr. Van Mook, head of the Economic Department at Batavia.