893.01/737
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Chief of the Division of Far Eastern Affairs (Hamilton)
During the course of a call which Mr. Morishima92 made at his request, Mr. Morishima said that the new central regime would be set up at Nanking on March 30. I commented that he was aware of this Government’s attitude toward any such regime. I said also that Mr. Morishima, from his reading of American editorial and magazine comment, must also be aware of the attitude of the American people. I added that any such regime would seem to be lacking any broad popular or spontaneous support by the Chinese people and to be dependent for its existence upon Japanese military force. I said that we could not regard the setting up of such a regime as any indication that the Japanese Government intended to conduct its relations with other countries on the basis of those principles which this Government was convinced furnished the only sound basis for healthy relationships among nations. Mr. Morishima referred to the fact that, prior to the recognition by the British Government of the nationalist regime, the British Minister to China concluded an agreement with the nationalist regime at Hankow. I asked whether he meant the Chen-O’Malley agreement.93 Mr. Morishima assented. Mr. Morishima then expressed the view that, upon the setting up of the Wang Ching-wei regime, foreign governments must deal with the new regime and it would be necessary for foreign governments to deal with it. I took decided exception to the use of the two words must and necessary, and Mr. Morishima stated that his use of these words was unfortunate and he expressed regret for having used them. (Note: Both Mr. Ballantine and I have noted that Mr. Morishima’s command and use of English are faulty and that he at times shows ineptness in expressing himself.)
The conversation then passed to other subjects.