762.94/434a: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Chargé in Japan (Dooman)
271. For your information there is given below the substance of a press despatch dated Paris, August 30, by Edgar A. Mowrer, Chicago Daily News correspondent, as follows:
Begin summary: It is reported that Germany and the Soviet Union are pressing Japan hard to accept an offer of a free hand in China in return for a guarantee of Soviet frontiers; that delay in ratification of the German-Soviet non-aggression pact is awaiting Japanese acceptance of the offer; that Great Britain and France desire to prevent an alignment between those powers; that Japan has approached Britain and France with an offer of some sort of cooperation; and that Britain and France are eager for an agreement which will guarantee their possessions in the Far East, free their hands for dealing with the European situation, and secure a reasonably strong ally to handicap the activities of Soviet Russia.
Mowrer says that the British and French are aware that they cannot afford to allow the Japanese to swallow China, because they would lose American support, and that the solution is for Britain and France to induce Japan to make peace with China and. if necessary invite the United States to mediate in the Far Eastern conflict and then offer Japan compensation elsewhere, and that the British and French have consulted Washington and the case is urgent, for Britain and France believe they must act quickly. End summary.
We take little stock in much that is contained in the foregoing statements. We would welcome any comments.
Sent to Tokyo. Repeated to Chungking.