894.6363/223: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Chargé in Japan (Neville)
196. Department’s 194, December 11, 6 p.m. In continuation for your information.
Department in course of giving comment by telephone expressed the view that, if the companies wish to try to conclude a trade with the Japanese Government, governmental agencies, especially American, should not be associated with the idea or the action relating thereto; that we have no objection to an effort by the companies to take the matter up directly with Japanese commercial interests and through the latter with Japanese official agencies; that if the companies seek through the Embassies introductions to the Japanese military authorities, we could only instruct our Embassy to approach the Japanese [Page 935] Foreign Office on the subject; that we doubted the advisability of company representatives expressing to Japanese agencies sympathy with the Japanese objective and of their saying to the Japanese that the heads of the companies here would be prepared to proceed to Japan again to carry negotiations to a conclusion. We intimated that our views were in line with those expressed in the Embassy’s telegram 224, November 30, 6 p.m.
With Standard-Vacuum’s assent, we have today conferred with other departments in regard to the companies’ project of offering a process in trade; and it has been decided that we will take officially no position either in approval or disapproval thereof.
Standard-Vacuum has not furnished us a copy of its instructions to its representative in Japan or given us any further word.29
- The Department’s telegram No. 198, December 13, 11 a.m., reported receipt that morning “of those instructions and an amendment thereto of December 11.” (894.6363/223)↩