11.94/23447/25
Memorandum of a Conversation
The Japanese Ambassador called at his request at the Secretary’s apartment.3 He handed the Secretary a document, the contents of which he said had already been communicated to Ambassador Grew [Page 607] for communication to the Department. The Secretary said that we had received it yesterday. A copy of the document which contains Japanese proposals relating to adjustment of American relations is attached hereto.4
The Ambassador said that the document had been prepared by the Japanese Government before the receipt by it of the President’s answer delivered on September 3 to Prince Konoye’s message delivered on August 28 but that the Japanese Government felt that the contents of this communication constituted a reply to our statement of September 3, having in mind also the spirit of the statement which the Ambassador communicated to the President on August 28. The Ambassador also referred in this connection to the proposal which he had presented on August 6. The Ambassador said that when the Secretary had spoken to the Ambassador on the evening of August 28 of the desirability of reaching an agreement in principle on the fundamental questions involved before making arrangements for the meeting between the heads of the Governments, the Ambassador had referred the Secretary’s views to his Government and that the proposal which he was now presenting was in response to the Ambassador’s representations to his Government. The Ambassador said he wished to emphasize especially Items B and C in Japan’s proposed commitments as being responsive to our expressed attitude and stressed also his opinion that in the light of circumstances in Japan this was the maximum by way of concessions that Japan could offer at this time.
The Secretary said that he and his associates would during the week-end go over the document presented by the Japanese Ambassador as he was naturally anxious to proceed as rapidly as possible. The Secretary then repeated what he had said many times in regard to the desirability of preparing the public in matters of this kind in order to insure public support. The Japanese Ambassador then said that not only was it necessary to hasten the matter of preliminary discussions but also the matter of an announcement. The Secretary then said that he perceived no objection to the Japanese Government letting it seep out that informal and exploratory conversations were proceeding.