711.94/1373: Telegram
The Ambassador in Japan (Grew) to the Secretary of State
656. My 655, December 4, 8 p.m.25 Following is the memorandum of my conversation with the Minister for Foreign Affairs today which lasted for one hour and a half. In view of the probability of inaccurate press speculation it seems preferable to send this telegram direct to Washington rather than via naval radio through Shanghai. Owing to the importance of the subject and in order adequately to convey the tone of the Minister’s remarks I do not feel justified in curtailing this long telegram.
The Minister said that he was glad to resume our talks, the last of which had occurred on November 4, and that he was sorry for the delay in continuing them. He said that he had carefully studied the statements which I had made at our last meeting as well as the documents left with him. He considered very valuable the suggestions which I had made to him with regard to the importance of furnishing direct evidence of the intention of the Japanese authorities to put an end to the bombings of American property, the insults to American citizens and the encroachments on American commercial activities in China which must be removed. Admiral Nomura realizes that the impression exists in the United States that these various acts have been deliberate and that there is an intention on the part of the Japanese authorities to expel American interests from China, He desired to give me categorical assurances that such an impression is a misunderstanding and contrary to fact. Military operations on an unprecedentedly gigantic scale over extensive areas are going on in China and all of the incidents and cases of which we have complained have been accidental. The Japanese forces have been ordered to pay every possible attention in their power to protect and respect American property and citizens in China. The Minister said that he had discussed this matter with his competent colleagues in the Cabinet and he could tell me as a fact that the personnel of the military commands in China has been so arranged as to ensure this protection and respect.
The Minister desired to say that such limitations to the commercial activities of Americans in China as have occurred are a result of the military operations including control of the occupied areas, such operations not being consonant with the peaceful enjoyment of ordinary commercial rights. These limitations are however exceptional and [Page 41] temporary and our rights will be restored when peace comes. It will only lead to misunderstanding and confusion to generalize and to forecast future conditions on the basis of these temporary circumstances.
At this point I mentioned some of the different ways in which American commercial rights and interests were being injured including the setting up of monopolies which had resulted in ruining the business of various American interests. It seemed to me difficult to explain these monopolies and other restrictions as due to military necessity. The Minister said that in war time it became necessary to control commodities and that the monopolies and other handicaps could be explained on this basis. I countered, however, with the observation that many of these measures gave the American Government and people the impression that they were intended to be permanent and that I would welcome concrete evidence to the contrary.
The Minister then said that he desired to repeat the assurances given me by his predecessors that the Japanese forces in China have not the slightest intention to drive out American interests and that they have the strictest orders to the contrary. He said that our commercial problems in China should be dealt with both in Tokyo and in the field and he requested that American officials in the field should keep in close touch with local Japanese officials. The Minister said that the cases both of bombings of American property and insults to American citizens were decreasing. In Pakhoi and Nanning for instance he has heard of no case of the damaging of American property in that area. Briefly, measures were also being taken to facilitate American commerce, as in the case of shipments of wood oil from Hankow and of lace and drawn work from Swatow. The Minister was thus in a position, he says, to point out that positive measures were being taken in line with the valuable suggestions which I had made at our last meeting. He appreciated my honest desire to improve relations and by the way of reciprocating this attitude he was now studying with the proper authorities such measures as could properly be taken.
The Minister expressed the regret that while he and I were making joint efforts to improve relations these efforts were being injured by the sometimes too liberal expressions of opinion by important people in the United States, including statements with regard to a possible embargo against Japan.
At this point I interpolated some pertinent observations with regard to the freedom of the American press and of public discussion and that we had found by experience that measures to control the utterances of the press or of individuals often defeated their own object by causing an intensification of those utterances. I added that the public statements of individuals outside of the Government even though those individuals might be in close touch with the Government did not necessarily [Page 42] represent the Government’s views. The Minister smilingly observed that the same situation, especially with regard to the press, obtained also in Japan.
The Minister then said that he desired to present certain figures which he thought I would find welcome as meeting some of my representations in our last conference and wait for concrete proposals for the settlement of pending questions. He said that the list of cases which I had presented to him had been carefully analyzed and a résumé drawn up on the basis of available documents. He thereupon handed me an informal document in Japanese which he thought I would probably wish to have translated and he read to me the following résumé:26 (a) Representations acknowledged or answered—179; (b) representations not acknowledged or answered—203 (1) no acknowledgment or reply required 22, (2) not acknowledged but the contents dealt with by communication to the appropriate officials in China 27, (3) not answered but settled locally or dealt with 8, (4) investigations still going on but not yet answered 110, (5) miscellaneous 36.
The Minister expressed regret that some of our representations had not been acknowledged or answered owing to clerical oversight but he could assure me that all of our representations were receiving attention and that the competent officials were seeking solutions.
Some cases had been settled or were about to be settled such as the Nyhus case and the cases of bombings around Shanghai and Nanking which amounted to 39.26a In these cases the investigations had been completed and the Japanese officials were in touch with our own officials in Shanghai with the view to finding solutions. The Minister said that Mr. Yoshizawa26b would explain either to Mr. Dooman or to me the details of the informal document which he had handed to me and would also be glad at all times to discuss pending questions. He said he thought it would be well for us to have periodical and frequent talks with Mr. Yoshizawa and he recommends that the officials of the Foreign Office and the Embassy constitute themselves as a sort of permanent committee to deal with these pending matters. Thus speedy settlement of these questions could be made or agreement reached as to how to solve them and this should lead to more stable relations between Japan and the United States.
The Minister alluded to the press reports that there are over 600 cases awaiting solution. Such incorrect reports mislead the public and injure our relations. He thought it would be useful to publish the actual facts and suggested Mr. Yoshizawa get in touch with us with that end in view.
[Page 43]The Minister said that this completed his official observations and that he would now like to talk “off the record.” With regard to our treaty of commerce and navigation he said that “even if the treaty expires I hope that relations may be maintained in a normal way and that there will be no cause for the people of both countries to get excited about.” Japan’s trade with the United States represented a very large percentage of Japan’s entire trade and if commerce with the United States should be impaired Japan would obviously have to seek other commercial channels.
[Paraphrase.] It appeared to me that an implied threat of an understanding with the Soviet Government was contained in the foregoing remark of Nomura and that the remark might be considered as seeking indirectly an opportunity for bringing up the matter of negotiations for a modus vivendi or for a new treaty. I therefore took occasion to inform Nomura of the Secretary’s views (expressed on November 24 to Ambassador Horinouchi27 and cabled me on November 27), emphasizing the consideration that this Government did not feel obligated to assume the initiative in offering for consideration practical measures for removing the impediments to friendly relations between the United States and Japan.
Thereupon I took up several individual cases with Nomura, as reported separately. [End paraphrase.]
The following press release was agreed upon:
“The Minister for Foreign Affairs and the American Ambassador today continued their talks covering the general field of Japanese-American relations in a mutually constructive spirit.”
The interview thereupon terminated.
Code text to Peiping and Shanghai by air mail. Shanghai please repeat to Chungking via naval radio.