894.48B/394: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Japan (Woods)
36. Your telegram No. 39, February 23, 3 p.m.44 Conversations with Bishop McKim45 tend to confirm the impression that the Japanese Government and people are under the misapprehension that the proposal for an American memorial hospital was a recommendation which the Japanese Government felt it could not decline without offense to the American donors and to this Government. If any such misapprehension does exist, you may in your discretion explain that, so far as concerns the American Government, it had nothing whatever to do with the proposal.
In the effort to make this clear Judge Payne, Chairman of the Red Cross, has telegraphed Blake that “the only desire of the Red Cross is that the Japanese use the fund as they deem best.” He has also conveyed informally to the Japanese Ambassador an expression of his feeling that the question of building and endowing a memorial hospital rests wholly with the Japanese authorities, and has asked him so to advise his Government.