793.94/3180: Telegram
The Ambassador in Japan (Forbes) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 13—9:40 a.m.]
262. Your 262, December 11, 9 p.m.,85 and 264, December 12, 3 p.m.; and my 260, December 13, 2 p.m.86
At 3 p.m. today I called on the Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, Nagai, and gave him in full the substance of your message. Listening attentively with few comments, he evidently was impressed by your conclusion that in regard to the Chinchow proposition neither side could be charged with lack of faith. Nagai said the Koo proposition had frankly surprised the Japanese Government, which, after accepting it in principle, had done its share by withdrawing Japanese troops, in the expectation that Koo would follow this up. Nagai felt that the Japanese had been treated curtly and perhaps discourteously in not receiving any answer to its suggestion of conferences looking to the arranging of details of the proposal. I made very clear your point concerning the unfortunate effect upon world opinion from further hostilities and inquired whether I should repeat my presentation of this, but Nagai said it was understood perfectly, and when Premier Inukai arrived at the Foreign Office to take charge later in the afternoon, the Vice Minister would not fail to give him the message of the United States Government. Nagai did not say anything which could be construed to indicate an early resumption of hostilities, but he gave the details of sundry abuses which bandits still are constantly perpetrating and which require joint police and military punitive and protective activities.
As to the National City Bank’s affairs, I took occasion to ask further, not having had as yet any satisfactory reply. Nagai said he had asked the Japanese Consul General, who was returning to Mukden, to take this up actively. Without revealing the source of my information, I mentioned also numerous arbitrary interferences with civil concerns in Manchuria, ordered by the military to the disadvantage of foreign and Chinese interests and to the direct financial advantage of Japanese interests, and I pointed out that this did not much resemble the Open Door. Nagai was much impressed by this and requested that I supply him with a list of the cases of which I had knowledge.
Afterwards I was received by Baron Shidehara, to whom I delivered the personal part of your message; I think this gratified him. [Page 682] He expressed his cordial appreciation of your attitude and mine. A very high imperial decoration has just been granted him.