Foreign Relations of the United States Diplomatic Papers, 1934, The Far East, Volume III

893.6363 Manchuria/35: Telegram

The Ambassador in Japan (Grew) to the Secretary of State

Tokyo, August 22, 1934—11 p.m.
[Received August 22—1:30 p.m.]

184. My 182, August 20, 3 p.m.

1. My British colleague has sent me in confidence copies of a note and memorandum which he addressed to the Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs yesterday with regard to the projected monopoly for the sale of petroleum in Manchuria.

2. In the note the British Government expresses the hope that after further consideration the Japanese Government will support the representations already made by the British Consul General in Mukden and will take steps to dissuade the Manchurian authorities from proceeding further with this plan or from any similar action in breach of treaty stipulations or of the open door principle.

3. The memorandum takes up three typewritten foolscap pages. It is very strongly phrased and deals chiefly with an itemized and “impressive and binding array of assurances” given by the Japanese Government on many occasions of a most positive and emphatic character that Japan was the champion of and would uphold the principle of the open door in Manchuria.

4. If the text has not been received from other sources the Department may desire to send me rush instructions to cable it in full as a summary would be inadequate for careful study.²⁰

Repeated to Peiping.

Grew

20. In response to a request from the Department, the Ambassador in Japan transmitted the text of the British memorandum in telegram No. 185, August 23, 10 a.m. (893.6363 Manchuria/36).