740.0011 European War 1939/16385
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Secretary of State
The British Ambassador called at my request. I first referred to our conversation some days ago in regard to the British request that this Government should notify Japan that it would treat any invasion of the Vladivostok area with special concern and definitely imply military action. I said that the Ambassador would recall my suggestion that as a preliminary matter all the questions involved in the entire program of conquest, as announced many times by the Japanese, should be treated as a whole and not dealt with in any local or limited way, such as by a proposal that, if Japan attacks Siberian Russia, the United States and Great Britain will come to Russia’s assistance in the Far East. Instead the question would arise as to whether or not such a movement of aggression by Japan should not for all practical purposes be considered as a general forward movement with respect to the entire [Page 561] program of conquest by Japan, which would include the South Sea area. The Ambassador was much pleased with this idea. I was very careful to say that I was not making any proposal, much less an official one, but was bringing up the question for consideration by the Ambassador and his Government. I also made it clear that this Government is not yet making any reply to the British inquiry in regard to coming to the relief of Russia, but that this Government, in dealing with difficult questions of great importance, such as keeping open the port of Vladivostok in order to ship military supplies to Russia, et cetera, is giving attention and consideration to all phases of the Far Eastern situation, keeping in mind, of course, the British suggestion.