711.94/812
The Ambassador in Japan (Grew) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 26.]
Sir: With reference to the Department’s instruction No. 239 of April 3, 1933, concerning anti-American propaganda in Japan, I [Page 307] respectfully invite attention to my despatch No. 364 of April 21, 1933,27 dealing with this general subject. Since the last mentioned despatch was written I had occasion on May 3, to discuss this subject with Mr. Arita, Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs. On the previous day Mr. Matsuoka, just returned from the United States, called on me and in the course of conversation observed that in his opinion the development of good relations between the United States and Japan should be the corner stone of Japanese policy. While repeating this remark to Mr. Arita, who said that he wholeheartedly concurred therein, I took the opportunity to discuss at length with him the whole question of anti-American propaganda in the Japanese press and the unfortunate effect of this propaganda in the United States where an impression of hostility to the United States on the part of the Japanese Government and people was inevitably created thereby. I said that I did not believe that such hostility really existed but that the impressions engendered by these press comments gave rise to mutual suspicions which were really illusory but not the less harmful to the good relations of the two countries. I spoke especially about the spy mania and the fact that American firms, which were conducting an honorable and legitimate business in Japan, were severely handicapped by their inability to seek perfectly legitimate commercial and industrial information, available in every other country, without incurring charges of espionage and sometimes scurrilous comments in the press. All sorts of other charges against America and Americans were continually being published, often of so absurd a nature as not to deserve the dignity of a denial. Mr. Arita indicated that he entirely agreed with my attitude. I expressed the hope that efforts would be made to control this hostile propaganda to the greatest extent possible in future, for, so long as it continued, Japanese-American relations would inevitably continue to suffer as a direct result thereof.
Respectfully yours,