033.9411/291
The Ambassador in Japan ( Grew ) to the Secretary of State
[Received April 21.]
Sir: I have the honor to refer to my despatch No. 645, dated January 13, 1934,17 in regard to the visit of Mr. Otohiko Matsukata to the United States, and to invite the attention of the Department to the frequency with which these so-called “unofficial envoys of good-will” are leaving for the United States in recent months. The frequency with which the visits are being made, combined with other circumstances, indicate that the visits are officially inspired and have some definite object in view.
The first of the unofficial good-will visitors during recent months was Prince Iyesato Tokugawa, but the Embassy is of the opinion that his visit was actually unofficial and was inspired by his personal friendship for the American people. The next to leave Japan was Mr. Otohiko Matsukata, who told me that his visit was entirely unofficial, but that he hoped to visit the President informally, as he had known [Page 641] the President at Harvard. The newspapers, however, stated that the visit was undertaken under the inspiration of a group of men headed by Count Kentaro Kaneko and with the approval of the Foreign Office. The Embassy understands, moreover, that Mr. Matsukata was in close touch with the Japanese Embassy in Washington during his stay there.
The next unofficial good-will envoy to leave will be Mr. Ryozo Asano, who, with his assistant, Mr. Takashi Komatsu, will sail for the United States on April 12th. Mr. Asano is to be one of the Japanese delegates to the International Labor Conference at Geneva, but he stated recently at a farewell luncheon given by the executive committee of the American-Japan Society that his primary purpose in making the trip was not to attend the Conference at Geneva, but to visit friends and business associates in the United States and to endeavor to foster more friendly relations with the United States. He also told me that he hoped to visit the President, whom he knew at Campobello.
Mr. Asano will be followed by Prince Fumimaro Konoe, the President of the House of Peers, who plans to sail for the United States on May 17. The newspapers first stated that Prince Konoe had been requested by the Minister for Foreign Affairs to endeavor to promote Japanese-American relations and that an “expert diplomat” would be sent by the Foreign Office to assist him. It was also stated that Prince Konoe would seek an interview with the President, for the purpose of exchanging friendly greetings. Prince Konoe promptly denied to the press that his proposed visit had any official significance and stated that he was going to the United States to visit his son, who is attending school there, but that before leaving he intended to visit Prince Saionji, Premier Saito, Foreign Minister Hirota, the War Minister, and others, to obtain information regarding conditions in Japan and regarding Japan’s foreign policies, in order to avoid making “stupid replies to questions asked in America and thus embarrassing the Japanese Government.”
I may state with certainty that although the Foreign Office is no doubt interested in Prince Konoe’s visit to the United States and probably hopes that he will help to promote Mr. Hirota’s “good-will” policy, the actual and primary purpose of his trip is to get away from Japan at a time of political embarrassment when he is being strongly urged by certain political groups, against his will, to form a new Government in succession to Viscount Saito. This fact was told me in confidence by one of the highest officials in Japan. The ostensible purpose of Prince Konoe’s visit is to attend the graduation of his son from an American preparatory school prior to entering Princeton University next autumn. I understand that Prince Konoe will take an interpreter with him as his command of English is limited.
[Page 642]While it may seem unreasonable that relays of distinguished Japanese visitors should expect to be officially entertained in Washington and that Prince Konog’s visit should occur so soon after that of Prince Tokugawa, it should nevertheless be taken into consideration that the former is not only the present President of the House of Peers but is also the first and highest noble in Japan after the Imperial Family, many of his forebears having been the closest advisers to various Emperors in times past, and furthermore that there is every probability that he will eventually become Prime Minister of Japan. He is but 42 years of age.
This rapid succession of “unofficial good-will envoys” suggests some sort of inspiration, which may or may not be official. On the occasion of the departure of Mr. Otohiko Matsukata, the Japan Advertiser of January 13, 1934, stated that
“The present unofficial goodwill mission is an outgrowth of a desire among a group of prominent Japanese to do something toward improving relations between the United States and this country, particularly in view of the crisis in Japan’s international relations which certain official circles in this country profess to see threatening in 1935 and 1936. One of the leaders of the group was Count Kentaro Kaneko, it was said, and after Mr. Matsukata consented to undertake the mission, the group submitted its plans to the Foreign Office, by which they were approved.”
It appears that at least some of these visits have official backing.
Another point regarding the visits which is worthy of attention is that the visitors are either persons who, because of student-days association with the President, are in a position to request a friendly visit with him, or persons who, because of their high rank in Japan, cannot well be refused permission to call upon the President. This naturally brings up the suspicion that the Japanese Foreign Office, having found the Department of State unrelenting in its attitude toward certain Japanese policies in the Far East, has decided to abandon the usual diplomatic channels and is endeavoring to open new channels directly to the President. On this point, some of the articles written by Mr. K. K. Kawakami, and published in Japan, are significant.
In this connection I am taking opportunities discreetly to discourage the sending of such “good-will envoys” on the ground that, so far as I am aware, good-will towards Japan is not lacking in the United States and that matters of political moment between our countries can best and more properly be dealt with through official diplomatic channels. I thought it wise to “inspire” the marked portion of the enclosed editorial in the Japan Advertiser,19 as well as the [Page 643] former editorial to which it refers. The Advertiser is widely read by Japanese officials and its editorials may sometimes start them thinking along the right lines.
Respectfully yours,