500.A4/58: Telegram
The Chargé in Japan (Bell) to the Secretary of State
[Received July 27—9:44 a.m.]
255. Embassy’s 253 of July 23, 2 p.m. At conclusion of interview Uchida told me he was to spend the week-end in the country and desired that during his absence the Foreign Office should study my Government’s communication. He therefore asked if I would write out my oral statements which he was afraid he could not carry in his [memory?]. I willingly consented to do this on the understanding that they, like the statements I made July 11, should be considered informal. Later the same day I sent Count Uchida’s [Page 44] private secretary the following notes of my remarks to His Excellency based on your cable:47
“The Government of the United States deeply appreciates the readiness of the Imperial Japanese Government to accept the invitation to attend the conference on the limitation of armaments.
The Secretary of State of the United States in the course of informal conversations with His Excellency, the Imperial Japanese Ambassador at Washington, has expressed the hope that the Imperial Government would not press its inquiry as to the nature and scope of the Pacific and Far Eastern problems to be discussed at the proposed conference in view of the fact that it is desirable that the full acceptance of the invitation of the American Government leave this matter open for adjustment in the precise agenda to be arrived at later.
The Secretary of State is willing to proceed with exchanges of opinion regarding the agenda prior to the meeting of the conference. He considers it inadvisable, however, at the present moment to hamper the program and in particular to delay the arrangements for the conference pending an agreement regarding this matter.”
The Cabinet has apparently been discussing the matter all day today and I have just now received the following memorandum dated today from the Foreign Office.
“The Japanese Government have taken note of the contents of the American memorandum of July 23rd, received through the American Chargé d’Affaires, in reply to the Japanese memorandum of July 13th, on the subject of a conference on the limitation of armaments to be held at Washington.
It has been brought to the knowledge of the Japanese Government that the Government of the United States is willing to proceed with exchanges of opinion regarding the agenda prior to the meeting of the conference and that it considers it advisable to adjust in that agenda the nature and scope of the Pacific and Far Eastern questions to be discussed at the proposed conference. The Japanese Government, on that understanding, are happy to be able to inform the American Government that it is their intention gladly to accept an invitation for a conference which shall embrace the discussion of the Pacific and Far Eastern Questions.
The Japanese Government have been made aware through the communications and the published statement of the American Government and the conversations between the Secretary of State and Baron Shidehara that the proposition of the American Government to discuss the Pacific and Far Eastern problems is based on the close bearing they have on the question of the limitation of armaments which is the original and principal aim of the conference, and that therefore the main object of discussing these problems is to reach a common understanding regard to general principles and policies in the Pacific and the Far East. Desiring, as they [do], to contribute to the establishment of an enduring peace and to the advancement of human welfare, the Japanese Government earnestly hope that the proposed [Page 45] conference may attain the expected results and their ideals may thereby be brought nearer to realization.
In order to ensure the success of the conference, the Japanese Government deem it advisable that the agenda thereof should be arranged in accordance with the main object of the discussions as above defined, and that introduction therein of problems such as are of sole concern to certain particular powers or such matters that may be regarded accomplished facts should be scrupulously avoided.”
- This first paragraph paraphrased.↩