500.A15A5/375
Memorandum of a Meeting in the Prime Minister’s Office at the House of Commons, December 19, 1934, at 4 p.m.41
Present:
| For the United States: | For Japan: |
| Mr. Norman Davis, | Mr. Matsudaira, |
| Admiral Standley, | Vice-Admiral Yamamoto, |
| Mr. Ray Atherton, | Mr. S. Kato, |
| Mr. Dooman, | Captain Iwashita, |
| Commander Schuirmann, | Mr. Mizota. |
| Lt.-Commander Duncan, | |
| Mr. Field, | |
| Mr. Reber. |
| For the United Kingdom: |
| The Prime Minister, |
| The Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, |
| The First Lord of the Admiralty, |
| Admiral Sir Ernie Chatfield, |
| Sir Warren Fisher, |
| Vice-Admiral Little, |
| Mr. Craigie. |
The Prime Minister opened the meeting by referring to the proposed communiqué, copies of which had been circulated before the meeting began, and summarised it to the effect that our conversations were to be suspended for the time being, and that when the conversations were resumed, the invitation would come from the Government of the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister then asked Mr. Matsudaira and Mr. Davis whether they gave their approval to the text of the communiqué,42 which they did.
[Page 403]There followed a discussion as to the time and method of release of the communiqué, so as to insure that it would be published in the United Kingdom only in the morning newspapers, while permitting the afternoon and evening press in the United States to carry it.
The Prime Minister then spoke approximately as follows:
“It only remains for me, as representing the host country, to wish you a very happy Christmas and very prosperous new year. My American friends will have to spend both away from home, I am afraid. Will you tell your respective wives and children that we British are solely responsible. We so sympathize with you that we will gladly issue a certificate to that effect to those of you who desire one with which to face criticism by your families when you get home.
May I just say before we part that I am very seriously impressed by the importance of the work we have begun. I don’t know when I have been working with friends on international issues when what we did would have more influence for good or evil in the world, and I want to assure you that the British Empire is going to do all it can to insure the continuance of a permanent peace. We cannot yield on any essentials; don’t assume that it is only a matter of pressure or time; that is not the case. We must look out for our self defense. What we would like our negotiations to be, especially when they are resumed, is that we should work as friends to find a way which will be consistent with the honor and security of all. I am perfectly certain that we will all come back in the frame of mind to achieve peace and cooperation in the Pacific. Whatever the name may be, cooperation and collective security can be made effective if we make up our minds to it. This is only a temporary suspension. Will both of you remain in touch with us and we will keep in touch with you. Let us make up our minds that there will be no hidden corners between us.”
Mr. Matsudaira then said:
“I entirely agree with what the Prime Minister has said. As far as the Japanese Delegation is concerned, we are quite willing to cooperate in the future to find the basis for our next conference. I hope the time will come as soon as possible when we can resume the conversations.”
Mr. Davis spoke as follows:
“We appreciate very much the spirit of the Prime Minister’s remarks. We feel as he does that there is nothing more vitally important to peace and progress than that these three great powers should work together in a friendly way, and if we once are in agreement to cooperate in promoting peace and collective security, we will thereby greatly facilitate an agreement on naval questions. I wish also to thank our hosts for all of their genuine and useful effort to help prepare the ground on which we may usefully meet again.”
The meeting thereupon adjourned.
- Transmitted to the Department by Mr. Field, secretary of the American delegation, without covering despatch; received January 16, 1935. Apparently these are minutes written by Mr. Field, not agreed minutes with the British.↩
- Foreign Relations, Japan, 1931–1941, vol. i, p. 272.↩