Foreign Relations of the United States Diplomatic Papers, 1941, The Far East, Volume V

740.0011 P.W./257: Telegram

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

Tokyo, July 16, 1941—noon.
[Received July 16—4:10 a.m.]

1006. The following is a paraphrase of a secret telegram received today from London by my British colleague.

1. It is learnt that the Japanese Ambassador at Vichy has been instructed to present to the French Government a demand for bases in French Indochina. The demand is to be made with a time limit.⁸⁹ In case the French Government accepts the demand the Japanese occupation will be carried out peacefully and territorial integrity guarantees will be given. Matériel, goods and arms will be promised. In case of French refusal the occupation will be carried out by force and Japanese Ambassador has been directed to hint that important changes for Indochina may be involved.

2. The Japanese attach great importance to the United States and Great Britain having no prior information for fear complications might be created. The French Ambassador therefore is not being informed lest he inform his American and British colleagues.⁹⁰

Grew

89. This was later identified as July 20.
90. The Adviser on Political Relations (Hornbeck) wrote in a memorandum dated July 16: “This has an important bearing on the question whether to act immediately by way of prevention or to defer action and then take it in what would be in a retaliatory or punitive sense.” In a footnote notation Dr. Hornbeck added that he and the Chief of the Division of Far Eastern Affairs (Hamilton) “do not recommend” immediate preventative action. For Ambassador Grew’s review of the situation, see telegram No. 1015, July 17, 11 a.m., vol. iv, p. 1006.