793.94/14859
Memorandum by the American Ambassador in Japan (Grew) of a Conversation With the Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs (Arita)
In accordance with instructions contained in the Department’s telegram no. 40, February 15, 7 [8] p.m.,43 I called this afternoon at 5:30 on the Minister for Foreign Affairs at his official residence and made [Page 831] to him the following oral statement, leaving the text with him as an unofficial document:
The statements which the Government of Japan has made from time to time to the effect that Japan has no territorial ambitions in China, have been carefully noted by the Government of the United States. In view of the recent announcement of the occupation of the Island of Hainan by Japanese forces attention is invited to the fact that there are numerous American residents chiefly missionaries as well as substantial American missionary and educational interests in the Island and that the United States maintains no consular representative in Hainan. In the light of the foregoing and also having in mind the general question of the relationships among the Powers including the United States which have important interest in and with reference to the Pacific area, the Government of the United States in view of the fact that these relationships have formed the basis of various international agreements, would be glad to be informed as to the intentions of the Japanese Government in connection with the occupation of Hainan Island.
The Minister said that the purpose of the occupation of Hainan Island is to strengthen the blockade of the South China coast and to hasten the suppression of the Chiang Kai-shek44 “régime”. Mr. Arita repeated the former statements of the Japanese Government that Japan has no territorial ambitions in China and added that the occupation “will not go beyond military necessity”.