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Memorandum by the Counselor of the American Embassy in Japan (Dooman) of a Conversation With the Director of the American Bureau of the Japanese Ministry for Foreign Affairs (Yoshizawa)
I called on Mr. Yoshizawa at the Foreign Office this evening in accordance with a request which came by telephone from Mr. Ishii, Mr. Yoshizawa’s assistant. Mr. Yoshizawa said that he would be grateful if I would convey to the Ambassador a message from the Foreign Office, as follows:
The Japanese Government earnestly desires to settle as soon as possible the question of forcible entry by Japanese troops into the premises of the American Embassy at Nanking and to that end it has directed Major-General Harada, Military Attaché of the Japanese Embassy and concurrently Chief Political Officer to the Expeditionary Forces, to express regrets to the designated officer of the American Government.
The Japanese Government also desires to settle the cases of reported desecration of the American flag, and the Acting Japanese Consul General at Nanking has requested that Allison supply evidence in the various cases. Allison has supplied a memorandum setting forth the facts in each of five different cases, but he has not indicated the names of any eye-witnesses. In these circumstances, Harada is prepared now to express regrets for desecration of the American flag “if such desecration shall have been established.”
Mr. Yoshizawa hoped that the Ambassador could see his way clear to recommending to Washington that the procedure proposed be accepted. I said that I would communicate the message at once to Mr. Grew.