740.0011 European War 1939/3784a: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Japan (Grew)
193. At a press conference on June 11, in response to request for comment on report from Tokyo that Japanese Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs has informed diplomatic representatives of Italy, Germany, France, England, and the United States that Japan is desirous of eliminating any incident among belligerent powers which would extend hostilities to the Far East, the Secretary remarked that it was necessary for him only to reiterate what had been our policy from the beginning, namely, that we have discouraged strenuously the outbreak of war anywhere and discouraged it by every means which public opinion would support. The Secretary said further that we have tried by all practical means to limit the spread of war if and when war once broke out. The Secretary added that this is our policy toward all parts of the world and toward all nations and has been our policy whenever war has broken out or has threatened to break out.