711.94/2625
Memorandum by the Ambassador in Japan (Grew)
The diplomatic chiefs of mission were received this afternoon by Mr. Shigenori Togo, the new Foreign Minister. Mr. Kase acted as interpreter. The usual press photographs having been taken and appropriate amenities exchanged, Mr. Togo remarked that the relations between the United States and Japan, which had not been very good when he formerly was in the Foreign Office several years ago, had since then progressively worsened to the present situation which, if this deterioration were not terminated, was fraught with the gravest dangers. Referring to the informal conversations which had been carried on since last spring between the Japanese and the American Governments, the Minister declared his desire that the conversations be continued and without delay be successfully brought to a conclusion. He requested my cooperation in accomplishing this objective.
Mr. Togo said that in order to make progress, the United States should face certain realities and facts and he thereupon cited the stationing in China of Japanese armed forces. Other nations, he said, at present maintained troops in certain areas of China, for instance the Soviet soldiery stationed in Outer Mongolia. The Minister made no further allusion to the preliminary conversations but stated that he hoped to have subsequent talks with me in due time.
[Page 700]After assuring the Minister, in reply, of my desire to cooperate with him, I described the wish of the Secretary of State that, because of the President’s close and active interest therein, the conversations should be carried on in Washington. However, as parallel talks in Tokyo were often helpful in that they afforded an opportunity for rendering more complete and more precise the reported views of the United States Government, I had on certain occasions in the past conveyed to the Minister for Foreign Affairs the substance of the conversations in Washington which were reported to me directly from the Secretary of State. Hereupon I gave to Mr. Togo a paraphrase of the Department’s telegram reporting the Under Secretary’s conversation with Mr. Wakasugi on October 24 (Department’s 689, October 25, 5 p.m.35), as I felt that the Foreign Minister would derive therefrom a clear understanding of the attitude of the Government of the United States toward these preliminary conversations.
I told Mr. Tojo that, as it was of course impossible for the Foreign Minister personally to read all of the correspondence directed by the American Embassy to the Foreign Office, it had been in the past my practice to bring in separate letters to the direct attention of Admiral Toyoda, with the latter’s approval, those matters which I had considered of especial importance. In reply to my question whether Mr. Togo would approve of my observing the same practice with him, the Minister replied in the affirmative and the interview was brought to a close.
As I was leaving, Mr. Kase told me that he had been designated Chief of the First Section of the American Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and that he would be happy to serve as a direct avenue of communication between the Foreign Minister and myself whenever I might desire. In thanking Mr. Kase I said that, recalling our former pleasant association, I was glad once again to find him in the role of interpreter during my conversations with the Foreign Minister.