393.1123 Nyhus, Phoebe/30
Memorandum by the Ambassador in Japan (Grew)
After repeated efforts to see the Minister for Foreign Affairs had failed I called today on the Vice Minister and made emphatic representations regarding the Nyhus case. I said to Mr. Sawada that I regarded this as an extremely serious case because it involved not only the bombing of American property but the loss of American life, that it was only a wonder that greater loss of American lives had not occurred through the repeated bombings of American property in China ever since the hostilities began and that unless effective steps were taken to prevent such attacks in future the risk of further incidents of this nature would be continual, and I pointed out to him the deplorable effect which the inevitable publicity concerning the Nyhus incident would exert on American public opinion. My oral representations were supported by a signed note addressed to the Minister for Foreign Affairs66 and couched in vigorous terms.
The Vice Minister after listening to my presentation said: “I agree with you that this is a very serious incident” and promised an immediate investigation.
- Infra.↩