394.1115/38: Telegram
The Ambassador in Japan (Grew) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 11—1:23 p.m.]
1216. 1. The Counselor29 this afternoon called on the Director of the American Bureau, at Mr. Terasaki’s request.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2. Mr. Terasaki said that the position of his Government with regard to the possible visit of the Coolidge to a Japanese port was as follows, but that he wished to make it perfectly clear that this position was an entirely independent one and completely disassociated from the position of the American Government with regard to Japanese vessels:
- [a]
- It was desired that the ship put in at Yokohama (rather than at Kobe). The vessel will be granted free entry and clearance. Supplies and fuel will be granted; special preparations already have been made, the permit of the purchase by the vessel of supplies in fuel. Steps have already been taken to enable the representative in Japan of the President Lines to deal directly with the Chief of the Bureau of Foreign Exchange in the Department of Finance for the release of funds covering purchases which might be made by the vessel. The regulations with regard to the examination of effects of passengers, permits for their departure, etc., will be generously applied in a friendly spirit.
- (b)
- The route to be taken by the vessel while in Japanese waters is to be designated. (Mr. Terasaki said in explanation of this point that shipping in the Inland Sea and the Straits of Shimonoseki was “extremely congested” and it was probable that the vessel would be asked to proceed from Shanghai to Yokohama by the so-called “outside route”.)
- (c)
- The passengers to be embarked at the Japanese port of call are to be limited exclusively to American official personnel.
- (d)
- Publicity to be avoided on both sides until after the departure of the Coolidge from the Japanese port.
3. Mr. Terasaki said that the only one [of] the points enumerated in the preceding paragraph which was regarded as a condition was the limitation of the passengers embarking in Japan to American official personnel.
[Page 423]4. Mr. Terasaki concluded with a lengthy plea that the position which he had outlined be regarded by our Government, not as any indication of an attitude of intransigeance on the part of his Government but rather to open the way for resumption [of] normal interchange of shipping.
5. An oral statement containing the substance of the Department’s 487, August 9,30 was handed to Mr. Terasaki who said that he would examine it in connection with the last sentence of sub-paragraph (a) paragraph 2 above.