Office of the Historian

740.00/1683: Telegram

The Chargé in Japan (Dooman) to the Secretary of State

Tokyo, June 8, 1939—7 p.m.
[Received June 8—8:05 a.m.]

265. Our 245, May 26, 8 p.m.

1.
The Polish Ambassador gave me in strict confidence an account of his conversation yesterday with the Minister for Foreign Affairs as follows:
(a)
He told the Minister for Foreign Affairs that he had heard that there had been renewed pressure on Japan to adhere to the German-Italian alliance and he inquired whether there had been any change in the negative decision taken in April by the Japanese Government. The Foreign Minister replied that there had been no change but that Japan’s position would have to be reexamined upon the conclusion of the Anglo-Soviet negotiations concerning an anti-aggression pact.
(b)
The Ambassador then asked for clarification of the Japanese attitude vis-à-vis the difficulties between Poland and Germany. The Foreign Minister said that his reply to that question would be found in his presentation of the four cardinal points [of] Japan’s attitude toward European problems. The first point is that Japan maintains friendly relations with both Germany and Poland and therefore hopes that they will peacefully resolve their present difficulties; Japan is prepared, without commitment as to the merits of the causes of their dispute, to lend its good offices toward restoring good relations between the two countries. The second is that without prejudice to Japan’s intention to avoid involvement in the affairs of Europe, “Her relations with Germany extend beyond the framework of the Anti-Comintern Pact”. The third is that the results of the Anglo-Soviet negotiations will determine to a large extent whether or not Japan can avoid involvement in Europe. The fourth is the possibility of Japan and the United States collaborating to bring about a détente in Europe and thus creating opportunity in Europe for laying down a basis of durable peace; the views of the American Government in this request are being explored.
(c)
In the general discussion which followed, the Foreign Minister again emphasized Japan’s concern over the Anglo-Soviet negotiations, pointing out that Japan cannot be indifferent to any arrangement which would strengthen the position in the Far East of the Soviet Union. The Ambassador in defense of the British desire to bring the Soviet Union within the anti-aggression front in Europe referred to an innovation of action calculated to prevent the Soviet Union from falling into the arms of Germany. The Foreign Minister ridiculed that possibility whereupon the Ambassador made the rejoinder that his Government has indisputable evidence from both German and Soviet sources that rapprochement between those two countries is now an active question.
2.
The Ambassador gained the very definite impression that the so-called decision with regard to Japanese policy recently referred to by the press is not a definitive decision but merely a conclusion reached by the Cabinet to await the result of the Anglo-Soviet negotiations. He believes that the hardening of American sentiment against Germany is largely responsible for the present confusion of the Japanese Government with regard to its European policy, his analysis of local trends following very closely that presented in our telegram under reference.
Dooman