761.9411/66: Telegram
The Ambassador in Japan (Grew) to the Secretary of State
[Received November 12—8:14 a.m.]
1131. 1. Meeting the Minister for Foreign Affairs at the Tokyo Club today I mentioned personally and on my own initiative certain current rumors that Japan and Soviet Russia are about to conclude [Page 673] an agreement predicated on the division of China into spheres of influence and I asked him whether he would be willing to comment informally on these rumors. Mr. Matsuoka replied that these reports are without foundation and he authorized me so to inform my Government. He said that he was doing his best to conclude a nonaggression pact with Soviet Russia but that this was purely and simply for the purpose of avoiding war. In order to protect himself he said that he naturally could not commit himself with regard to Japan’s future policy or action in the light of future altered circumstances, but he could state categorically that there was nothing whatever in his mind along the lines of the rumors mentioned.
2. The Minister then said that he is making efforts to get into direct touch with Chiang Kai-shek without third party mediation and is hopeful that he will be able to bring about peace through important Japanese concessions. He did not further elaborate.
3. Adverting to the prevalence in Tokyo of baseless rumors, the Minister said that one such rumor is that Japan in signing the tripartite alliance has taken a tremendous gamble on Germany and Italy winning the war. He said that far from gambling on such a victory he could not possibly predict which side would win but that if Japan’s allies should be defeated Japan would loyally honor her commitments under the pact and would support her allies with redoubled aid when the tide of war turned against them.
Sent to the Department via Shanghai. Repeated to Moscow. Shanghai please repeat to Peiping and to Chungking.