Foreign Relations of the United States Diplomatic Papers, 1941, The Far East, Volume IV

711.94/2236: Telegram

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

Washington, September 4, 1941—8 p.m.

562. For the Ambassador and Counselor only. Your 1347, August 29, 9 p.m. We desire that in your discretion you inform the Minister for Foreign Affairs that we have given careful consideration to his suggestion in regard to the three steps which he mentioned. You may say that this Government no less than the Japanese Government is obliged to reckon with public opinion in connection with any proposed line of action and it is the considered opinion of this Government that, as anticipated by you, it would not be practicable for this Government to carry out the steps designated by you as (B) and (C).

I was present when the President received the Japanese Ambassador on September 3⁸¹ and delivered to him a reply⁸² to the message from Prince Konoye received on August 28.⁸³ The President’s reply, a copy of which is being sent you by mail, was couched in very responsive terms and contained the suggestion that preliminary discussions of essential and fundamental questions be undertaken immediately. The President read and gave Admiral Nomura an oral statement,⁸⁴ summary of which follows:

The Secretary of State in the course of the informal and exploratory conversations which he had held with the Japanese Ambassador had sought to make clear the belief of this Government, first, that an agreement to establish stability and peace in the Pacific could be reached only upon the basis of the four fundamental principles which were communicated to the Japanese Ambassador on April 16⁸⁵ (referred to in paragraph 6 of your 1355, August 30, 6 p.m.); and second, that as Japan would thus be best assured access to markets and raw materials necessary to its economy and as ways would then be opened toward cooperation with other countries, including this country, on a mutually beneficial basis, Japan could profit more by adherence to a course compatible with those principles than by following any other course.

This Government notes with satisfaction the specific assurances, contained in the statement delivered by the Japanese Ambassador on August 28,⁸⁶ of Japan’s peaceful intentions and assurances that the program which Japan desires for the Pacific area is consistent with principles to which this Government is committed. This Government understands that those assurances exclude any policy of seeking or acquiring by force economic preferences, advantages or rights or political expansion.

This Government strongly desires to collaborate in endeavors effectively to put into practice the principles referred to by the Japanese Government. It is believed to be all-important to insure success of any efforts Japan and the United States might make for collaboration for a peaceful settlement. On June 21, 1941, the Japanese Ambassador was given a document marked Oral, Unofficial and Without Commitment and containing a redraft⁸⁷ of the original Japanese proposal⁸⁸ (a copy of this redraft was forwarded to you with a letter dated June 30,^88a from an officer of the Department). There appeared in oral discussions of that document divergences of view between our Governments in regard to certain fundamental questions. Those divergences were not reconciled up to the time of the interruption of the conversations in July. This Government, while desiring to facilitate progress toward a conclusive discussion, believes a clear agreement on the above-mentioned points and a community of view are essential before any satisfactory settlement of Pacific questions may be achieved. Accordingly, the Japanese Government’s present attitude toward those fundamental questions is sought.

Obviously each Government in making decisions needs to give heed to public opinion and the internal situation in its country. The Japanese Government will recognize the inability of this Government to enter into any agreement not in harmony with the principles in which all nations favoring peaceful methods share belief with the American people.

The reply of the Japanese Government on these matters would be welcome.

The basic points in which we were unable to reconcile the views of our two Governments in the informal conversations were (1) the question of the application of the principle of non-discrimination to the Japanese program of economic cooperation with China which is contained in the fundamental terms which Japan contemplates proposing to China in a peace settlement; (2) the insistence by the Japanese Government upon a basic provision of settlement with China under which Japan would be given the right to maintain troops within Chinese territory; and (3) Japan’s commitments under the Tripartite Pact.

Hull

81. See memorandum by the Secretary of State, September 3, 1941, Foreign Relations, Japan, 1931–1941, vol. ii, p. 588.
82. Ibid., p. 591.
83. Ibid., p. 572.
84. Ibid., p. 589.
85. See Foreign Relations, Japan, 1931–1941, vol. ii, pp. 406, 407.
86. Foreign Relations, Japan, 1931–1941, vol. ii, p. 573.
87. Ibid., p. 486.
88. See draft of May 12, ibid., p. 420.
89. Letter of June 30 not printed.