711.417/681
Memorandum by the Under Secretary of State (Grew) of a Conversation With the Japanese Ambassador (Matsudaira)
The Japanese Ambassador called and referred to his former conversation regarding the desire of the Japanese Government to call a conference of the signatories of the Fur Seals Convention with a view to amending the convention. He said that at that time he had been uncertain from the wording of his instructions as to whether his Government intended to announce its proposal for the place and date for the meeting prior to receiving the replies of the other Governments, or whether they wished to receive the replies first. He had asked instructions on this point and was now able to tell me informally and unofficially that the intention of his Government was to have the conference held in London as, owing to Russian participation, they thought it might be difficult to hold it in Washington. He said he understood that the reasons for the proposed amending of the convention were that the fur seals were now rapidly increasing in numbers and were invading the seas of Japan in such numbers as to destroy and displace great quantities of fish which was working much hardship and damage to Japanese fishermen. In view of this situation, the Japanese Government felt that the regulations protecting the fur seals should be made less stringent, in order “o decrease the number of seals coming into Japanese seas.
I told the Ambassador that we were now studying the matter, but were not yet prepared to make an official reply to the Japanese [Page 464] proposals. Nevertheless, I thought it best to tell him informally and unofficially in advance of our formal reply that I thought it was going to be very difficult to find a way by which we could participate 2 in such a conference and sign a convention with representatives of the Soviet Regime which we had not recognized. The Ambassador said that his Government fully appreciated this point, but they considered the matter so important that they hoped we could find some method by which at least some informal arrangement could be made to alter the provisions of the present convention. He thought that we had already done this in other cases with representatives of the Soviet Regime, but was unable to specify what cases he had in mind. I said that we should approach the matter with good will and should let him know in due course as to our attitude.