Papers relating to the foreign relations of the United States, Japan, 1931–1941, Volume I

393.115/1023: Telegram

The Ambassador in Japan ( Grew ) to the Secretary of State

[Paraphrase]

Tokyo , November 11, 1940—noon.
[Received November 11—10:35 a.m.]

1125. Your telegram number 454, November 7, 9 p.m.,³³ was received November 8, 7 p.m.

1. During my interview yesterday with the Foreign Minister I referred to the continued bombings by the Japanese of American property in China and indicated that there were very serious risks involved in jeopardizing the lives of American citizens in this manner, which, at this time of marked tension between our two countries must be regarded as doubly serious. With reference to this subject, I handed copies of our last five notes concerning recent bombing incidents to Mr. Matsuoka, saying it was my desire to make certain that these facts were known by the Minister himself. Then I spoke of the possibility that with regard to these and previous bombings, my Government might feel obliged, in accordance with its long established practice, to publish full information. The only remark the Minister made to this statement was that the United States Government would, no doubt, wish to consider the effect of such publicity on the relations between Japan and the United States.

2. In connection with the many cases of complaints on the part of the American Government set forth in the lists which I had given him (Embassy’s telegram number 878, September 22, 2 p.m.), the Foreign Minister said that he is doing his best to clear them up and that it is his intention soon to send to China an important official, probably the Director of the American Bureau of the Foreign Office, accompanied by several secretaries, for the purpose of locally exploring the situation and of taking the steps to remove, so far as is practicable under the military conditions existing now in China, the cause of the complaints. These complaints he referred to as embracing both military and economic matters. My answer was that for the same avowed purpose former foreign ministers had also sent special agents to China, but that these special agents had met with little success and that until precise and unequivocal instructions to respect American life and property and other legitimate rights and interests were issued to the officers and officials in the field by the highest competent authorities in Tokyo, it was apparent from experience that accruement of positive results could not be expected. It may be significant in this connection that recently the Foreign Minister requested me to send him an extra set of the lists of complaints to which reference was made in Embassy’s telegram number 878, September 22, 2 p.m.

3. I suggest that the Department may wish to consider a further delay in releasing the proposed publicity regarding bombings in view of Mr. Matsuoka’s expressed intention and obvious desire to obviate points of friction with the United States, which, in my opinion, represents a belated recognition of the unfortunate position vis-à-vis the United States into which Japan, through the conclusion of the tripartite alliance³⁴ and other recent developments, has placed herself.

This telegram has been sent to the Department via Shanghai. Shanghai will please send copies to Peiping and Chungking.

Grew

33. Not printed.
34. For summary of the pact signed at Berlin September 27, 1940, see vol. ii, p. 165.