711.94/2402: Telegram

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

1732. For the Secretary and Under Secretary only. In the two meetings which my British colleague has had with the new Foreign Minister, Mr. Togo on both occasions and on his own initiative spoke of the preliminary conversations between the United States and Japan, thereby conveying the impression that that subject is uppermost in his mind.68 He indicated pessimism as to a successful outcome of so dilatory a negotiation and said that as a result of his study of the papers relating to the conversations he had derived the impression that the United States Government was not very much interested in securing their speedy conclusion. From his long experience in international negotiations Mr. Togo expressed the view that more progress should have been made in conversations which have lasted six months and he added that time was now a very important factor because in Japan’s [Japan?] impatience was now taking the place of the hopes originally placed in these conversations. He said that after he had completed his study of the papers a Cabinet meeting would be held to consider the policy of the Japanese Government in connection with the conversations. He feared that a breakdown of the conversations might have repercussions which would affect British interests.

Craigie replied that he felt sure that there had been no deliberate desire in any quarter to drag out the conversations; he understood [Page 564] however that the United States Government had been unable to elicit sufficiently definite assurances and undertakings in regard to Japan’s future intentions and this might be the cause of the present hitch. He thought the scope of the conversations was so wide that time and patience were obviously necessary to ensure a settlement.

Minister for Foreign Affairs appeared to my colleague to be genuinely anxious about the situation and casting about for some way to prevent a breakdown in the conversations.

Grew
  1. For conversation between Ambassador Grew and Foreign Minister Togo, see memorandum by the Ambassador in Japan, October 30, 1941, Foreign Relations, Japan, 1931–1941, vol. ii, p. 699.