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Memorandum by the Secretary of State of a Telephone Conversation With the Governor of New York (Roosevelt) at 9:15 a.m.
I called the Governor up at his house in New York and reminded him of our talk on the Far East last Monday72 and of his assurances to me then of his sympathy with the American policy which we had thus far followed in regard to Manchuria. I told him that matters were now reaching a critical point in the light of the coming meeting of the Committee of Nineteen on January 16th, and that efforts were being made to make it appear that our silence during the recent weeks indicated either a change of policy on our part or that there was going to be a change by the new administration. The Governor said yes, that he had heard the situation was deteriorating that way. I told him I was about to call up our London Embassy and have a conference through them with Sir John Simon, in which I proposed to have them tell Sir John Simon on my behalf that there had been no change in our policy and I did not anticipate any such change in the future. I told Governor Roosevelt that I did not like to send such a message with its implications without telling him first of my purpose and seeing whether he had any objection. He at once said no, that it was the right thing for me to do and for me to go ahead and do it.
I also told Governor Roosevelt that I had been delayed in reaching Washington, owing to the death of a friend on Long Island, but that I had taken up the other matter of his suggestion (meaning about the debts73) with the President and that the President was thinking it over. I told him again that I appreciated very much the opportunity of conversation with him last Monday and hoped that we would succeed in opening gradually an effective cooperation. He responded cordially, saying that he felt the same way.