693.001/402
Memorandum by the Ambassador in Japan (Grew)
This afternoon I made my courtesy call on Mr. Renzo Sawada, newly appointed Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, to return his call on me. I told him that I did not wish in this first talk to bother him with individual cases, knowing how extremely busy he must be in getting into harness, especially as Prince Konoye as Minister for Foreign Affairs is able to come to the Gaimusho only once or twice a week. I told Mr. Sawada that we are daily sending in a great number of notes to the Foreign Office with regard to Japan’s depredations against American property in China and that all of these notes, [Page 791] which must now amount to several hundred, can be found on file in the Foreign Office. I told Mr. Sawada however, that in my talk with General Ugaki on July 4 last, and in a note which I addressed to the Foreign Office after my first conversation with Prince Konoye as Minister for Foreign Affairs, dated October 6, I had presented a general picture of the troubles experienced by Americans and American interests in China at the hands of Japanese forces and other authorities, and that if he would be good enough to read through the record of my conversation of July 4 and our note of October 6, it would give him the background which I felt was important in enabling him to give proper weight to such representations as I might be called upon to make in future. Mr. Sawada said that he would do so.