Office of the Historian

793.94/6710: Telegram

The Ambassador in Great Britain (Bingham) to the Secretary of State

London, May 31, 1934—6 p.m.
[Received May 31—2:40 p.m.]

293. While I feel due consideration should be given to Simon’s statement set forth in your 213, May 27 [25], 7 p.m.30 (textually reported in the Embassy’s despatch No. 722 of May 2331) I do not feel the sum total of all other pro-Japanese statements should be added together and taken as an indication of a new fixed policy towards Japan. England’s policy is in the making and its determination will in the first instance be timed by the results of the present Geneva deliberations on the European situation. When the European situation clarifies the Cabinet can more frankly face the Far Eastern situation. For the rest, England’s policy vis-à-vis Japan is influenced by two schools of thought, equally important: (one) seeking cooperation with the United States; and the other which considers that in 1921 Great Britain had elected to forego the advantages of a Japanese alliance in the hope of pursuing a joint policy with the United States, but that this expectation had been disappointed by the insistence of the United States upon disassociating itself from even the appearance of joint action during the years 1925 to 1930 when British interests were singled out for attack by Chinese nationalism; although we were later willing to [Page 199] seek British cooperation in defense of the Manchurian thesis with which the American Government had more particularly identified itself.

In my opinion since England today has not clarified her opinion with regard to Japan but nevertheless on her own initiative has sought these preliminary naval conversations and has informally expressed a hope that no attempt be made to open the Japanese issue before the forthcoming naval conversations, I have let Mr. Davis32 know that I consider any attempt to raise the Far Eastern problem before he reaches London might be prejudicial to the very objective we seek. I venture to repeat what I have said in former telegrams that at this moment we can well afford to wait and let the British carry the initiative further in these preliminary conferences which they have sought.

Repeated to Mr. Davis.

Bingham
  1. Not printed; it repeated telegram No. 98, May 23, 3 p.m., from the Ambassador in Japan, which referred to Sir John Simon’s statement in Parliament and reported certain alleged pro-Japanese remarks of British officials (793.94/6701).↩
  2. Not printed; see telegram No. 265, May 18, 4 p.m., from the Ambassador in Great Britain, p. 185.↩
  3. Norman Davis, American representative to the preliminary naval conversations at London in June.↩