793.94/17041: Telegram

The Ambassador in Japan ( Grew ) to the Secretary of State

1869. Extract from Premier Tojo’s message to rally held yesterday under sponsorship Imperial Rule Assistance Association and Dai Nippon East Asia League in commemoration first anniversary joint Japan-China-”Manchukuo” declaration17 follows (from Domei report in Advertiser):

“It is certainly the most fortunate lot of the three powers to have the privilege of collaborating together under this banner for cutting open the thorny way, and 1 year has already gone by since we started this honorable work together, and if it is not the greatest task of the present century what else can it be.

However if we look around we find that there are still many countries who are indulging in actions hostile to us. In fact they are trying to throw obstacles in the way of the construction of the East Asia co-prosperity sphere and are trying to enjoy the dream of exploitation of East Asia at the cost of the 1,000 million populace of the East Asiatic peoples to satisfy their greed of possession.

The fact that Chiang Kai-shek is dancing to the tune of Britain, America, and communism at the expense of able-bodied and promising young men in his futile resistance against Japan is only due to the desire of Britain and the United States to fish in the troubled waters of East Asia by putting [pitting?] the East Asiatic peoples against each other and to grasp the hegemony of East Asia. This is a stock in trade of Britain and the United States.

[Page 149]

For the honor and pride of mankind we must purge this sort of practice from East Asia with a vengeance.”18

Sent Department via Shanghai.

Grew
  1. Ante, p. 122.
  2. For Japanese explanation of this speech, see statement of December 2, 1941, p. 778.