574.D1/258: Telegram
The Chargé in Japan (Bell) to the Secretary of State
[Received November 16—9:42 a.m.]
591. My 586, November 12, 6 p.m.18 I have received memorandum from Japanese Foreign Office dated yesterday which in translation reads as follows:19
“The Imperial Foreign Office has the honor to acknowledge the receipt of the memorandum of the American Embassy in Tokio of October [November?] 12th in regard to formation by the Preliminary International Communications Conference of a tentative non-retroactive draft of legal principles applicable to cables in time of war and to reply that after deliberate and repeated consultations with the various government offices concerned it has decided to instruct the Imperial delegates attending the Preliminary International Communications Conference now going on that in case the delegates of the other great powers approve of discussing questions of this nature the delegates of this country should also participate in their discussion and that the Imperial Government considers it proper to commence the discussion of these questions after the question of the disposition of the German cables has been settled.”