711.008 North Pacific/239: Telegram
The Ambassador in Japan (Grew) to the Secretary of State
Tokyo, December 18, 1937—8
p.m.
[Received December 18—9:35 a.m.]
[Received December 18—9:35 a.m.]
656. Department’s 356, December 17, 5 p.m.
- 1.
- I called this evening on the Minister for Foreign Affairs and again explained to him the pressing importance as set forth in the Department’s telegram of an immediate reply to our memorandum and representations. Hirota explained the reasons for the delay (our 602, December 7, 4 p.m.) but said that the Japanese response was now being drafted and would be delivered to us within a few days. I pressed him most urgently for an early and definite date and he finally promised that on Monday he would tell me definitely on what day the reply would be delivered. He said that the Ministry of Agriculture wishes to publish the reply here before it is published in Washington in order to explain the situation to the Japanese public. The Minister added that the reply would be conciliatory.
- 2.
- If the Department considers it important that the release to the press of the Japanese reply should be simultaneous in Tokyo and Washington please so advise me before Monday.
652 and 65381 have been repeated to Shanghai for the Commander in Chief.
Grew