711.945/1127: Telegram
The Ambassador in Japan (Woods) to the Secretary of State
[Received June 4—9:35 a.m.]
132. Department’s telegram no. 88, May 31, 3 p.m.64 The vernacular press have not given overmuch prominence to the recent Japanese protest on exclusion and their comments are confined to entire approval of the Government’s action and express satisfaction that Japan has based her protest on the spirit underlying the treaty rather than upon legal technicalities. The tone of the press while giving in no way any indication of resignation tends to confirm the belief that there is a general realization here now of the fact that no immediate action favorable to Japan can be expected; also that violence looking to this end could have no beneficial result; and that Japan’s best course under the circumstances is to adopt an attitude of restraint in the discussion of the situation hoping in this way to effect a change favorable to Japan through appeals to the sense of fair play of the American people realizing at the same time that this course will be most profitable to Japan through its beneficial effect on world opinion coming as it does at time when general outbreaks of violence might have well been expected.
In the meantime today’s press reports two more suicides in protest against exclusion and the growth of the movement for the boycotting of American goods while unlikely to prove very serious to American trade relations nevertheless are indicative of the extent of the bitterness felt.
- Not printed.↩