Foreign Relations of the United States Diplomatic Papers, 1940, The Far East, Volume IV

893.102S/2224: Telegram

The Ambassador in Japan (Grew) to the Secretary of State

Tokyo, August 27, 1940—6 p.m.
[Received August 27—9:10 a.m.]

756. Department’s 321, August 23, 6 p.m. Shanghai Defense Sectors.

1. Action taken today. The Minister for Foreign Affairs said that he would do his best to bring about an amicable and equitable settlement of the controversy.

2. Mr. Matsuoka, speaking off the record, said that the difficulty was in part due to the fact that many of the military people believe that the American proposal to take over the sectors formerly allocated to the British was occasioned by “British intrigue”, especially as the Japanese were not consulted sufficiently in advance of the Defense Committee meeting of August 12. The military furthermore regard Sector B as of greater importance than Sector D. The Minister said that he does not necessarily share these views but thought that I ought to know what the military people were thinking. In reply I repeated the outstanding factors in the American point of view which I had already presented point by point with the utmost clarity.

3. I asked the Minister if he had thoroughly grasped the several points brought out in the second part of my instructions of which no written record was to be presented. Mr. Matsuoka replied that he thought he had grasped them, but that it would help him very much if I would give him a transcription of the second part of my instructions for his personal use exclusively. Believing that compliance with his request would tend to have a favorable effect toward achieving the objective of my approach, I thereupon left with the Minister a paraphrase of the second part of my instructions on his personal undertaking (1) that this record would not be placed on the files of the Gaimusho,³¹ and (2) that he would return the paper to me after personal study. The Minister agreed to this understanding and while handing the first paper to his private secretary he placed the second paper in his pocket.

4. The conversation continued for an hour during which the Minister discussed in objective vein his friendly attitude toward the United States and his constant endeavor to impress his compatriots with the gratitude which Japan owes to the United States for the latter’s past assistance and support in many directions. On the other side of the picture he said that he had never been able to understand the action of the United States Government in suddenly abrogating our treaty³² without warning which he compared to a sledge hammer blow delivered by one friend to another. In similar vein, but without associating the two subjects, I dwelt in some detail on the cumulative effect of the depredations against American citizens and American interests on the part of Japanese forces in China. Repeated to Shanghai.

Grew

31. Japanese Foreign Office.
32. Treaty of Commerce and Navigation, signed at Washington, February 21, 1911, Foreign Relations, 1911, p. 315; for notice of termination, see note from the Secretary of State to the Japanese Ambassador, July 26, 1939, ibid., 1939, vol. iii, p. 558.