711.94/25401/35
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Chief of the Division of Far Eastern Affairs (Hamilton)
Shortly before midnight of November 3 Mr. Dooman, Counselor of our Embassy at Tokyo, telephoned me. He referred to previous telegrams relating to the desire of the Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs to send a person to the United States to assist Admiral Nomura in the discussions. He said that the Japanese Government wished to [Page 567] send Mr. Kurusu. (Note: Saburo Kurusu, formerly Japanese Ambassador to Belgium and later to Germany, returned to Japan some months ago via the United States.) Mr. Dooman said that the Japanese Government wished to have Kurusu depart for the United States as soon as possible; that the Japanese Government inquired whether it would be feasible for arrangements to be made whereby Mr. Kurusu could get passage on the clipper due to leave Hong Kong the morning of November 5, which would entail delaying the departure of the clipper from Hong Kong for about two days, or, alternatively, that Kurusu proceed to Saipan, from Saipan to Guam by a Japanese vessel, probably a destroyer, and board the trans-Pacific clipper at Guam. Mr. Dooman said that they would like to get a reply back within a few hours. I commented that it was midnight here, that it might be very difficult to get in touch with the proper people, and that I did not know whether it would be practicable to do anything on such short notice.
Mr. Dooman then said that Mr. Grew had received from the Japanese Foreign Minister a message to the following effect: Delay in bringing the conversations to a speedy and satisfactory conclusion will only aggravate the situation which is already tense. Please accept this as though it were a message communicated by the Minister of Foreign Affairs to Mr. Hull in person.
Mr. Dooman said that it was urgently hoped that we would give the question of the trip prompt attention. (I am not sure whether this was the American Embassy’s hope or the hope of the Japanese Foreign Minister.)
I told Mr. Dooman that we would see what could be done in the matter.
[Here follow details concerning arrangements for Mr. Kurusu’s air travel.]