711.94/974a: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Japan (Grew)
134. 1. The New York Times of August 5 carries an account under Tokyo date line August 5 of an article by General Tanaka,60 translation of which appeared in the Japan Advertiser of August 5. The account begins as follows: “President Roosevelt’s ‘loud’ comment on the efficiency of the United States naval establishment in Hawaii is characterized as ‘insolent’” by General Tanaka. The account states that “President Roosevelt has traveled to Hawaii and there inspected the Pearl Harbor Base, which is regarded as the center of American offensive operations in the Pacific, telling the world in loud tones its equipment is perfect”. There immediately follows a statement apparently directly quoted from Tanaka’s article stating that “such insolent behavior makes us most suspicious. It makes us think a major disturbance is purposely being encouraged in the calm Pacific. This is greatly regretted.”
2. Please cable the text of a sufficient portion of Tanaka’s article to enable the Department to determine whether Tanaka used the word “insolent” and, if so, whether Tanaka applies that word to the President or to a series of American acts to which Tanaka takes exception.
3. Is Tanaka now in active service?
4. Your comments would be welcomed.
5. Forward full text of article by mail.
- Gen. Kunishige Tanaka, former Japanese Military Attaché at Washington.↩