Foreign Relations of the United States Diplomatic Papers, 1938, The Far East, Volume IV

693.001/353: Telegram

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

Tokyo, October 3, 1938—4 p.m.
[Received October 3—10:40 a.m.]

640. Department’s 339, October 1, 2 p.m. Open Door in China.

1. The Department’s telegram came at a favorable moment. The Prime Minister⁸¹ is momentarily functioning as Minister for Foreign Affairs but will probably hold that office briefly. It seems to me an unusual opportunity to present to him the request of the President and the full desiderata of the United States without going over the head of any Minister, an opportunity which rarely occurs. Furthermore, although he is not yet receiving diplomats, I was fortunately able to obtain an appointment with Prince Konoye at his private residence without publicity just before he went to the Palace for an audience with the Emperor at which there is every likelihood that the new “China Organ” will be discussed. I consider this a favorable development.

2. Prince Konoye listened to my full oral representations which I said would be embodied in a note to be delivered shortly to the Foreign Office. I briefly covered the principal points in the Department’s telegram in the half hour at my disposal leaving with the Minister an informal record of my oral remarks⁸² for the sake of accuracy.

3. At the end of my presentation Prince Konoye said that he was honored by the message from the President. He said that in spite of the change of Foreign Ministers there will be no change in Japan’s policy towards affairs in China or towards other foreign nations. The assurances already given us concerning the Open Door and equal opportunity in China will be steadfastly maintained. The military situation in China may cause delay in meeting all of our desiderata but he gave explicit assurances that this delay will be but temporary. He said that he wished and intended to continue to do everything in his power to improve relations between the United States and Japan as he had in the past. He highly valued these relations. He added that he was not familiar with many of the points which I had raised but would study them.

4. At the end of the Minister’s remarks I pointed out that many or most of the conditions of which we complained had no direct relation whatever to the military campaign. The Minister replied that the new “China Organ”, now in process of establishment, is being formed for the purpose of dealing with just such questions and he felt sure that once functioning it would be able to smooth out these difficulties by the exertion of direct control by the authorities in Tokyo over the Japanese authorities in China. He repeated his firm desire for improved relations with the United States.

5. With regard to the text of the note to be delivered to the Foreign Office specifying and elaborating the points orally presented to Prince Konoye today, we are of the opinion that the chances of these representations producing constructive and beneficial results would be enhanced if the references to events in Manchuria (second paragraph) were left out. It seems quite clear to us that these references are intended to be illustrative of what may be expected with reason to occur in China proper; nevertheless, the fact that the League of Nations has just invoked against Japan the sanction clause of the Covenant⁸³ would make the present a highly inopportune time to open the way for renewed controversy over “Manchukuo”. It seems to us that to provide an occasion for such controversy would remove all disposition on the part of the Japanese Government to respond favorably to the desire of the President that it take prompt and effective measures to implement its assurances with regard to the Open Door and noninterference with American rights. However, if the Department cannot see its way clear to the omission of the second paragraph of the draft note, we recommend that there be inserted at the head of that paragraph a phrase which will indicate the illustrative purpose of the references to Manchuria.

6. With this exception we see no reason to alter the proposed text of the note in any way.

7. Please inform me whether the Department desires to give early publicity to the note when presented and whether I may communicate such information to the Foreign Office.

Grew

81. Prince Fumimaro Konoye.
82. Foreign Relations, Japan, 1931–1941, vol. i, p. 782.
83. See telegram No. 259, September 30, 11 p.m., from the Consul at Geneva, vol. iii, p. 517.