862i.73/16a
The Secretary of State to the Japanese Ambassador (Shidehara)
The Secretary of State, referring to his interview with the Japanese Ambassador this morning, has the honor to state that he is willing to agree to the elimination of Paragraph 7 of his Memorandum of September 28, 1921, with regard to the provisional use of the Naba–Yap–Guam cables, upon the understanding that the elimination of this paragraph shall be deemed to be without prejudice to the making of proper arrangements for the resumption of the service of the Yap–Menado cable, if such resumption shall be desirable, including in that event the operation by the United States of the Yap end of the Yap–Guam cable and suitable arrangements to cover through services at Yap; and also upon the understanding that the said temporary arrangement pending repair of the Tokyo–Bonin cable shall not be deemed to be a reason for postponing the completion and carrying out of the arrangements contemplated by the memoranda which have been exchanged between the Secretary of State and the Japanese Ambassador relating to the Island of [Page 310] Yap47 and the permanent disposition of the former German cables in the Pacific and other matters.
If this is confirmed by the Japanese Ambassador, the Secretary of State will at once communicate with the Governments of Great Britain, France and Italy with respect to the terms of the temporary arrangement as to the use of the Yap–Nabar–Guam cable, inviting their concurrence.