711.94/2423: Telegram
The Ambassador in Japan (Grew) to the Secretary of State
[Received November 7—8:14 p.m.]
1768. For the Secretary and Under Secretary. Embassy’s 1765, November 7, 7 p.m.
- 1.
- Mr. Toshi Go, editor of the Japan Times and Advertiser, today told me that he himself had written the editorial in the issue of November 5 on his own responsibility with a view to presenting Japan’s maximum demands which he assumed would be far beyond the more moderate proposals to be presented to the United States by the Japanese Government. He, however, told a Japanese informant that he had written the editorial to register disapproval of the secrecy which had surrounded the exploratory conversations in Washington. I told Toshi Go of the great harm to American-Japanese relations which, in my opinion, he had done, and that it seemed to me to be utterly absurd and inconsistent to create such a hostile atmosphere especially at the moment of sending a special emissary to Washington. Toshi Go replied that when he wrote and published the editorial under reference he was not aware of the sending of Kurusu to Washington.
- 2.
- Talking informally yesterday with Mr. Bellaire, Tokyo correspondent of the United Press, Mr. Takata, head of Nichi Nichi, replied as follows to Bellaire’s inquiry whether the present state of tension in American-Japanese relations might lead to the outbreak of hostilities: Japan has no intention of going to war, being unable in the present situation even adequately to supply its troops.
Japan will continue to negotiate with the United States and the only development which might prevent a settlement by a negotiated agreement would be some major German victory which Japan does not now anticipate will occur. With regard to the virulent press campaign against the United States and against the alleged A. B. C. D. economic encirclement of Japan, Takata said that the Japanese Government had turned the campaign on and that it would be up to the Government to turn it off.