793.94/3441: Telegram
The Ambassador in Japan (Forbes) to the Secretary of State
[Received January 8—8:05 a.m.]
3. Neville and I were invited, at Inukai’s suggestion, to pose with him for a Movietone introducing him to the American public. His speech, which the Fox organization will present later, declares peace is now restored in Manchuria and his expectation that orderly civil processes will follow. The Prime Minister and I had at his instance, a conversation before the picture was taken. I referred to a suggestion he had made in a previous conversation that work would be offered to Chinese ex-soldiers so that they would disarm and abandon banditry, and I asked whether there was any expectation that this program would be carried out. He expressed the hope that this would soon be possible.
Yesterday’s paper contained a vigorous statement, purporting to be an interview given out by Minami, asserting Japan proposed to extend her control over Manchuria and Mongolia and would brook no interference on the part of any outside nation with her activities in China. I asked the Prime Minister if this meant Japan was now proposing to extend her pretensions over Mongolia as well as Manchuria; to which he replied the Japanese spoke of Manchuria and Mongolia together, meaning Eastern Inner Mongolia next to Manchuria and that they had no intention of reaching out after Outer Mongolia. I then suggested it would be helpful to us if we could have a map indicating what Japan regarded as the present boundaries of Manchuria; at which he laughed and said it would be difficult as the boundaries are indeterminate.
There was no allusion to the Chamberlain case.