793.94/8427: Telegram
The Ambassador in Japan (Grew) to the Secretary of State
Tokyo, December 9, 1936—9
p.m.
[Received December 9—1:15 p.m.]
[Received December 9—1:15 p.m.]
255. Embassy’s 252, December 5, 6 p.m., paragraph 2.82
- 1.
- Sentiment favoring the resignation of the Hirota Cabinet is accumulating. Increasingly outspoken opposition to the international position into which Japan has been led by the agreement with Germany is being expressed throughout the country. The general policy in China does not seem to be a dominant factor in the dissatisfaction with the Cabinet but the disapproval of the failure of the Foreign Office to obtain satisfactory results appears to predispose the military and the leaders of the political parties toward the overthrow of the Hirota Cabinet.
- 2.
- This afternoon the Minister for Foreign Affairs is appearing before the Privy Council to defend the Cabinet’s foreign policies. The press predicts difficulties for the Government.
- 3.
- Apart from political maneuvering in the Cabinet situation the serious interest of leaders is partially concerned with the advisability of the overthrow of the Cabinet at this juncture for the effect of such a step on world opinion. In other words the question at issue is [Page 409] whether the enforced resignation of the Cabinet would assist in quieting foreign apprehensions that the Japanese Government intends to develop the recently concluded agreement with Germany in the direction of a sweeping new orientation of Japanese foreign policy.
- 4.
- The Embassy inclines to the opinion that while the German-Japanese agreement may be used as a means of attack on the Cabinet, the actual underlying cause of any such attack will be the loss of face involved in the failure of the Japanese negotiations with China.
Repeated to Peiping.
Grew
- Not printed.↩