793.94/2071: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Chargé in Japan (Neville)
196. Your 183, October 13, 11 a.m. You appear somewhat to mistake the Department’s attitude, for it is attempting neither to “sit in judgment” nor to “force a settlement”. When you say the two parties concerned must themselves find a solution, you are quite right. All that the League of Nations is trying to do, and the United States concurs heartily with this aim, is to have the hostilities cease in order that Japan and China may be able to arrive at their own solution without recourse to war. To accomplish the settlement in a peaceful manner directly concerns all of the powers. If this is not recognized by Japan, the latter will find the opinion of virtually all the nations of the world arrayed against her. I think it is important for you to make this clear to Baron Shidehara so that he may understand that this Government has no desire to sit in judgment or to suggest terms of settlement, but has as its sole aim the prevention of hostilities and the encouragement of a solution by direct negotiations.
In support of direct negotiations, the Shantung settlement was suggested to you by Shidehara, and this morning Debuchi brought up the same matter with the Under Secretary, discussing it at some length and pointing out the success of those negotiations. Castle reminded [Page 195] Debuchi that he had left out a vital point, namely that those negotiations had been attended by neutral observers. The Ambassador remarked he did not know his Government’s attitude on this phase of the problem. Castle told him it appeared that Japan might at least be willing, since a neutral commission had been demanded by the Chinese, to admit observers provided the main Japanese point, direct negotiations, was accepted and that obviously some concessions must be made by both sides. I do not desire you to take up with Shidehara this matter, but you may express the foregoing view in the event of his bringing up the matter with you.