Office of the Historian

711.94/20055/14

The Postmaster General (Walker) to the Secretary of State

[New York,] March 13, 1941.

Special Memo.

Ticker-report enclosed36 is exactly what was predicted and communicated to you some days ago. Apparently Matsuoka realizes that his Berlin trip is also intended to get him out of the way.

Wikawa cabled to Prince Konoye to take over the Foreign Office Portfolio immediately and to instruct the Japanese Embassy at Washington not to present the suggestion of Matsuoka’s visit to our State Department. The value of any visit of Matsuoka to the United States would be scuttled in Japan where, it is thought, Matsuoka wants to become Premier (a doubtful benefit to the United States).

Of all the code and plain cables sent from here to Prince Konoye during the past two weeks, only one of these has been shown to Foreign Minister Matsuoka (according to cable received here today from Prince Konoye).

This afternoon, Wikawa also cabled Prince Konoye that every effort must be made to conclude a basic agreement on principles before the end of this month—since it is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain secrecy. Obviously, the Premier is planning the American entente as coup against the Axis groups in Japan—as well as Hitler.

P. S.—A cable from Ayukawa (referred to in my previous memo) requested Kurusu (former Ambassador to Germany) to remain here and cooperate with Col. Iwakuro (arriving March 20th–21st). This afternoon, Ambassador Kurusu telephoned the Japanese Embassy at Washington but Wakasugi, the Minister there, said he was “too busy” to see him! Wakasugi says he is “preparing business for the U. S. State Department”, but, actually, he knows very little of the real intentions of his home Government.

  1. It reported Foreign Minister Matsuoka on leaving Japan as saying that he would be willing to extend his tour to Washington and London if invited; his chief secretary added that “the best way to solve Japanese-American differences would be for President Roosevelt or Sec[re]t[ar]y of State Cordell Hull to meet the Foreign Minister at Hawaii and thresh out the whole problem”.↩