693.002/976
The Japanese Ministry for Foreign Affairs to the American Embassy in Japan
Note Verbale
The Imperial Ministry of Foreign Affairs presents its compliments to the American Embassy at Tokyo and has the honor to state that it has carefully perused the contents of the latter’s memorandum no. 1405, October 26, 1939, based upon information in the possession of the American Government concerning the position of the Inspector General of Maritime Customs at the time of the establishment of a new régime in China. The Imperial Government is not in receipt of such information as that set forth in the American note and does not possess facilities for determining the validity or falsity of that information. Accordingly, the Imperial Government is not in a position to state its attitude toward hypothetical questions based upon information of this nature. Generally speaking, however, it is believed that problems of this sort would require practical and proper disposition taking into consideration the actual conditions prevailing and the interests of the Powers concerned, et cetera.