894.00/909: Telegram
The Ambassador in Japan (Grew) to the Secretary of State
[Received June 7—7:15 a.m.]
423. My British colleague tells me that according to reliable information the local agent of the German DNB32 News Bureau recently stated to an informant that the German Embassy has been working steadily to bring about the adoption of a single political party system in Japan and is now congratulating itself on the forthcoming success of its efforts. The agent also boasted to informant that the German Embassy had furthermore been successful in keeping relations between Japan and the United States as bad as possible. The Embassy, according to agent, has been telling the Japanese that as soon as Germany has achieved [success?] over the Allies in Europe the Germans will then turn against Soviet Russia and at that time they will enlist Japan’s support which will give Japan a clear field against the Soviets. It was, therefore, far more in Japanese interests to maintain good relations with Germany than with the democracies, including the United States.
The British Ambassador yesterday told the Foreign Minister of this conversation and expressed his surprise the Japanese Government [Page 641] was willing to tolerate such interference on the part of a foreign embassy in Japanese domestic affairs. The Ambassador furthermore tells me that he is passing the foregoing information on to the British Embassy in Moscow so that it may be brought to the attention of the Soviet Government.
Repeated to Moscow.
- Deutsches Nachrichten Büro.↩