711.94/2431: Telegram
The Ambassador in Japan (Grew) to the Secretary of State
[Received November 10—2:16 p.m.]
1781. Department’s 716, November 5, 7 p.m., Embassy’s 1765, November 7, 7 p.m. I spoke again today to the Foreign Minister along the line of the second paragraph of the Department’s telegram under reference and the Foreign Minister replied that he could categorically assure me that the Foreign Office had no prior knowledge of the editorial. He denied that the Foreign Office exercised that kind of control over the Japan Times which the American public apparently believed it did, but he said that in view of the paper’s recent editorial he was considering the placing of supervision over material published by the paper. He had suggested in appropriate quarters the undesirability of Japanese papers in general publishing material which would be needlessly provocative to the United States. He then referred to the “violent language” employed by American papers and individuals occupying responsible positions in commenting on Japan, and he said that unless such language could be moderated the papers in this country could not be expected to remain quiet.
I pointed out that whereas the American Government cannot comprise [control?] the free expression of opinion the Japanese Government has at its disposal effective means of controlling the press.