Office of the Historian

793.94/16789: Telegram

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

[Paraphrase]
Tokyo, August 14, 1941—6 p.m.
[Received August 14—9:11 a.m.]

1238. This afternoon the Director of the American Bureau, Mr. Terasaki, called the Counselor of the Embassy to the Foreign Office and said that the Foreign Minister had instructed him to make a statement for communication to me which is substantially as follows:

1.
With regard to the assurance which was conveyed to the United States Government through Admiral Nomura that Japanese forces would suspend bombing of the city area of Chungking, not including of course its suburbs, it is unthinkable that the United States Government would communicate such information to the Chungking Government. However, a very dangerous situation would arise if any third party should inform Chungking, and if the fact that Chungking had been so informed should become known in Japan.
2.
Except to say that the United States Government must be aware of the Japanese doctrine of the Imperial Command and that an undertaking which would be a restriction on the freedom of operation of the Japanese armed forces is a serious thing for the Japanese Government to give, Mr. Terasaki declined to elaborate on his statement.
3.
That his statement be regarded as being of most confidential character was requested with great emphasis by Mr. Terasaki.

Grew