Office of the Historian

394.1115/28: Telegram

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

Tokyo, August 8, 1941—noon.
[Received August 8—4:38 a.m.]

1191. Department’s 473, August 6, 6 p.m. and 474, August 6, 8 p.m.27

1.
An estimate of the number of Americans who would be able to take passage on the President Coolidge if sent to a Japanese port is being prepared and will be cabled shortly.
2.
In this connection the Department’s attention is earnestly invited to the following considerations. The Japanese Government has informed us in effect that treatment accorded to Americans will be pari passu with the treatment accorded by the United States Government to Japanese.28
3.
At present Americans wishing to leave (including United States Government officials) would (a) be unable to withdraw any funds from any bank without a permit; (b) be required to obtain a permit to leave the country; (c) be required to obtain a permit to purchase tickets; (d) be required to submit all effects including hand baggage to customs examination 24 hours prior to sailing; (e) be required to obtain permit to send effects out of Japan.
4.
Unless therefore the Embassy can receive assurances that Japanese leaving the United States would be subject to no such restrictions, and unless such assurances can be conveyed to the Japanese Government a sufficient time before the possible sailing of the Coolidge so that the machinery can be put into motion for the lifting of the various restrictions listed above, it is doubtful whether most Americans wishing to leave would be able to avail themselves of the opportunity if it were to be presented.
5.
It is accordingly urged that the foregoing considerations be laid before the Treasury Department to the end that an early decision be reached in the questions now before it.
Grew
  1. Neither printed.↩
  2. For freezing of Japanese assets in the United States, see Foreign Relations, Japan, 1931–1941, vol. ii, pp. 266–267; also Foreign Relations, 1941, vol. iv, pp. 774 ff.↩