800.79611 Pangborn-Herndon Flight/148

The American Ambassador in Japan (Forbes) to the Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs (Shidehara)6

No. 140

Excellency: I have the honor to refer to my Note No. 124, of August 17, 1931,7 in which I requested, by direction of my Government, permission for Messrs. Pangborn and Herndon to fly from Japanese territory in an effort to cross the Pacific by air. Since the delivery of the note in question, I have had the honor of speaking to Your Excellency directly on the question, and the staff of the Embassy have also had informal discussions with members of the Department of Foreign Affairs.

If I understand the situation correctly, there is some opposition to permitting this flight. I need not here repeat the oral arguments with which the granting of the permit has been urged further than to assure Your Excellency that it would produce a very favorable impression in the United States.

I avail myself [etc.]

W. Cameron Forbes
  1. Copy transmitted to the Department by the Chargé in Japan in his despatch No. 334, September 25; received October 10.
  2. Not printed.