894.00/434
Memorandum by the Under Secretary of State (Castle) of a Conversation With the Japanese Chargé (Kato)
Mr. Kato came to give me the attached copy29 of what Count Uchida is now saying to the Diet in Tokyo. He will give copies to the press to use as they wish tomorrow morning.
Mr. Kato asked me to read through the speech on the chance that I might have some comments to make. I told him that there appeared to be nothing new in it, that, of course, I was sorry that Japan appeared to be so determined to recognize Manchukuo and sorry to see Count Uchida repeating the statement that Manchukuo was the result of the will of the Manchurian people, since it would be very difficult to make the world believe that this was true. I said everyone admitted that if the Japanese Army should leave Manchukuo now the state would not last a moment. I said also that it made me unhappy to see the yen going down and down as this meant that the credit of Japan was declining, but that I saw no way to stop the fall except by putting an end to their military adventure. Mr. Kato said he was afraid the recognition of Manchukuo was inevitable as there seemed an insistent demand for it throughout Japan.
- Not printed.↩