Office of the Historian

740.0011 European War 1939/11219: Telegram

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

Tokyo, May 23, 1941—3 p.m.
[Received May 23—9:25 a.m.]

721. The French Counselor,75 in the temporary absence of his Ambassador,76 has read to us in strict confidence a telegram just received from the French Ambassador at Moscow77 substantially as follows:

(a)
Bergery had been told by the newly appointed Soviet Ambassador to Vichy, Bogomolov,78 that Russia would welcome good commercial relations with Germany but that she would have no part in any new order in which Germany would be the prime beneficiary and Russia would be one of the hewers of wood and drawers of water. Bogomolov added that Russia would use force if necessary to resist attempt by Germany to integrate her into the German new order. (We assume that he was here referring to any attempt by Germany to dictate Soviet economic policies.)
(b)
The Japanese Ambassador, with whom Bergery had discussed the matter, said that there existed for Germany a “vital necessity for living space in and the products of Russia,” and that therefore Germany would not be satisfied with only barter arrangements with Russia. Tatekawa believed, however, that Russia could be integrated into the new order without war; because, first, Germany’s leaders have sufficient political sense not to make the new order a monopoly for Germany alone and would be prepared to share overlordship with Russia; and second, there exists the formidable pressure on Russia of [Page 147] the German armies, now comprising 140 divisions, stationed on the border.
(c)
Tatekawa said that a war between Germany and Russia would be extremely dangerous for Japan which then might well be caught between Russia and the United States.
(d)
Bergery added that it was the opinion of the French military officers in Moscow that the figure of 140 divisions mentioned by Tatekawa seemed somewhat high but that it might possibly be correct.

Sent to the Department, repeated to Moscow for relay to Berlin.

Grew
  1. Guy F. J. Fain.↩
  2. Charles Arsène-Henry.↩
  3. Gaston Bergery.↩
  4. Alexander Efremovich Bogomolov, previously Chargé at Vichy.↩