763.72119/3308: Telegram
The Ambassador in Japan ( Morris ) to the Acting Secretary of State
[Received January 7—11:05 a.m.]
Marquis Saionji, Japanese Peace Ambassador, accompanied by his personal suite consisting of Prince Konoye, Mr. Saionji, his heir, Dr. Minucle, his physician, Mr. Matsuoka, secretary, Mr. Akzuki, formerly Ambassador to Austria Hungary, Viscount Motono, son of the late Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Mr. Ito, son of the late Prince Ito, will leave for France on the Tamba Maru sailing on January 14th via Suez and due to arrive Marseilles early in March.
Prince Konoye, in a contribution to Japan and the Japanese, a fortnightly magazine, urges that Japan should lend no ears to a peace based on Anglo-American interests alone, because economic imperialism with which these powers threaten the world is no less a menace to the free development of nations than military imperialism. He therefore regrets that Japanese are inclined to accept without discount or examination the democracy and humanitarianism advocated by British and American statesmen. While not opposing a league of nations based on justice and humanity in the strict sense, he thinks that if one such as favored by America and Great Britain is formed, the two powers will have the lion’s share of the advantages, while others, deprived of the arms to resist their economic aggression, will be obliged to submit to the lead of these two powers. If Great Britain closes her colonies to foreign countries, how can Japan maintain her existence with her limited territory, slender resources and poorly equipped factories? Under such circumstances Japan will be obliged to assume the same attitude as Germany before the war and destroy the status quo. Prince Konoye further insists that the discriminatory treatment accorded to yellow race in America and British colonies must be removed. It is worthy of note that Prince Konoye’s views are shared by a number of publicists.