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

693.001/380

Memorandum by the Ambassador in Japan (Grew)

[Tokyo,] October 3, 1938.

Upon receipt of the Department’s instruction (no. 339, October 1, 2 p.m.²¹) I called on Prince Konoye who is momentarily functioning as Minister for Foreign Affairs. He is not yet receiving diplomats, but I was fortunate in being able to obtain an appointment with him without publicity at his private residence just before he was to go to the Palace for an audience with the Emperor where it is very likely that the new “China Organ” will be discussed. It seems to me that this was a most favorable moment for my interview, and an unusual opportunity to present the President’s request²² and the full desiderata of the United States directly to the Premier without going over the head of any Minister.

Prince Konoye listened to my full oral representations which I said would be embodied in a note to be delivered shortly to the Foreign Office. I briefly covered the principal points in the Department’s telegram in the half hour at my disposal leaving with the Minister an informal record of my oral remarks for the sake of accuracy.²³

At the end of my representation Prince Konoye said that he was honored by the message from the President. He said that in spite of the change of Foreign Ministers there will be no change in Japan’s policy towards affairs in China or towards other foreign nations. The assurances already given us concerning the open door and equal opportunity in China will be steadfastly maintained. The military situation in China may cause delay in meeting all of our desiderata but he gave explicit assurances that this delay will be but temporary. He said that he wished and intended to continue to do everything in his power to improve relations between the United States and Japan as he had in the past. Prince Konoye said he highly valued these relations and added that he was not familiar with many of the points which I had raised but would study them.

At the end of the Minister’s remarks I pointed out that many or most of the conditions of which we complained had no direct relation whatever to the military campaign. The Minister replied that the new “China Organ”, now in process of establishment, is being formed for the purpose of dealing with just such questions and he felt sure that once functioning it would be able to smooth out these difficulties by the exertion of direct control by the authorities in Tokyo over the Japanese authorities in China. The Minister repeated his firm desire for improved relations with the United States.

J[oseph] C. G[rew]

21. Not printed.
22. Mention of the President in this memorandum was due to a garble in telegraphic instructions. However, in telegram No. 342, October 5, 1938, the Department instructed Ambassador Grew that the President had been consulted and had ratified the use made of his name (693.001/353 supp.).
23. Infra