500.A15A5/211: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Chairman of the American Delegation (Davis)
6. With reference to your telegram No. 6 of October 24, 7 p.m., the Japanese statement and the recent public utterances of responsible exponents of Japanese unofficial and official views indicate an uncompromising and rigid Japanese attitude. That the Japanese are preparing the ground for a probable walkout is suggested by the rigidity and scope of the position which they take. An evident unwillingness [Page 257] on their part to discuss anything except what suits their own national aspirations, regardless of world conditions, implies a throwing off of all restrictions and an abandoning of all effort looking toward real cooperation in the realm of international relations and peace machinery. No justification is offered by them except arguments of prestige and manifest destiny for their claim of paramount responsibilities and rights in the Far East, and their demand for a change in the agreements and ratios entered into toward the preservation of Far Eastern peace. No sufficient reason exists why all the nations of the world cannot proceed on the basis of security and peace laid down in the Washington treaties, to the principles and provisions of which treaties this Government still adheres. The plea on the part of the Japanese of need of self-defense is similar to the one which they made at the time of beginning their military occupation of Manchuria and their attack, in 1932, at Shanghai upon the Chinese. No reason exists why the other countries of the world should accept the Japanese view of Japan’s requirements and rights or allow themselves to be represented as obstructing the Japanese people’s legitimate aspirations. The publicity which the Japanese are according to their line of exposition suggests that, on the expectancy of walking out, they desire to create an impression with the public, to be developed further at the moment when they wish, that they are driven to that conclusive action by indifference to Japanese necessities in the field of self-defense on the part of other countries.
It will be necessary for us to combat whatever efforts they may make to shift the responsibility for a break, if and when it occurs, from themselves to the United States and/or Great Britain.
We believe that we should be guided, in contacts with the British conferees and with the press, by the above line of reasoning. However, it should not be made the basis of any official statement but might, in the course of discussions or conferences where comment is required, be borne in mind.
From the American point of view, the publicity here at present is satisfactory.