711.94/2624
Memorandum by the Counselor of Embassy in Japan (Dooman)
I called upon the Director of the American Bureau late this afternoon and told him that the Embassy was informed that the Japanese military were preparing to land on or about the 15th of October some 50,000 additional troops in Tonking, French Indochina. At the direction of the Ambassador I requested that Mr. Terasaki convey to the Foreign Minister the personal and private opinion of Mr. Grew that the Japanese Government should expect the current conversations [Page 670] to suffer seriously adverse effects if it is prepared to grant permission for such forces to be landed. Recalling to Mr. Terasaki that the conversations between our two Governments had been suspended because of the despatch of Japanese troops to Indochina in July, and bringing to mind again the circumstances of the renewal of these conversations, I stated on my own responsibility that, were the proposed landing of forces carried out, I should expect a termination of the conversations. Mr. Terasaki, obviously much disturbed, said that he knew nothing about the matter and would immediately convey to Admiral Toyoda the information which I had communicated to him.