711.942/180: Telegram
The Chargé in Japan (Dooman) to the Secretary of State
[Received July 28—4:30 a.m.]
366. Our 365, July 27, 3 p.m.2 last paragraph. The following statement was issued last night by the Foreign Office:
“The American Government has formally notified our Government through our Embassy at Washington its desire to terminate the treaty of commerce and navigation between Japan and the United States. As the step has been taken by the American Government all of a [Page 190] sudden and, moreover, the reasons given therefor are given only very briefly, it is difficult to grasp the true motive underlying the action of the American Government.
It is stated by the American Government that during recent years it has been examining all the existing treaties between the United States and foreign countries with a view to determining what changes should be made and that, having come to the conclusion that the Japanese-American treaty contains provisions which need new consideration and in order to safeguard and promote American interests as new developments may require, it desires the termination of the treaty.
However the above reasons of the American Government which serve equally well for a revision of the treaty fail to explain fully why the American Government should have found it necessary to give notice of the abrogation in such a hasty and abrupt manner.
Although the American Government claims that the notification in question has no connection whatever with the deliberations in the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee on the proposal of Senator Vandenberg for the abolition of the Japanese-American treaty of commerce and navigation, the present action of the American Government coming as it does at the time when the Anglo-Japanese conversations are in progress is highly susceptible of being generally interpreted as having a political significance.
A new situation is now fast developing in East Asia. The Japanese Government has long been hoping that other countries of the world would frankly recognize this fact. In case the American Government desires to conclude a new treaty with Japan in conformity with this new situation in East Asia the Japanese Governmet will of course be glad to do so.”
Cipher text by mail to Chungking and Peiping.
- Not printed.↩