711.94/975: Telegram
The Ambassador in Japan (Grew) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 7—1:35 p.m.]
173. Department’s 134, August 6, 3 p.m.
1. The paragraph in Tanaka’s article which contains the passage referred to by the Department is as follows: [Page 678]
“At any rate, there are not a few aspects of the American attitude of late that we are unable to understand. This may be caused by the dancing of the American people to the tune of the flute played by the advocates of armament expansion surrounding the Admiral (Pratt). With the approach of next year’s conference, the psychologies of the people of the nations concerned are gradually becoming tense. The American naval and war authorities are loudly proclaiming the necessity of vast naval and air forces, which are steadily being realized. Long flights to Hawaii and Alaska have been carried out, and the United States is being placed on new air bases in Alaska and the Aleutian Islands. With the cooperation of a private naval society, propaganda for replenishment of the Navy is being spread. The Atlantic Fleet is to be stationed once more in Pacific. President Roosevelt himself has travelled to Hawaii, et cetera”.
The rest of the paragraph is substantially as quoted by the Department. The translation has been checked with the original Japanese text and found to be accurate.
2. The use of the word “insolent” by Tanaka might be taken to apply either to the President or to a series of American acts.
3. Tanaka was retired as a full general in 1929. He is now President of the Merinkai, an organization of retired army and naval officers and other men of nationalistic leanings.
4. The article does not appear to have been published in any Japanese newspaper. The Advertiser obtained an advance copy of the article which is to be printed in the Merinkai magazine published chiefly for the members of the society.
5. I feel that it would be advisable to bring this matter to the attention of the Minister for Foreign Affairs, pointing out the gross impropriety of the language used by Tanaka and inquiring whether the Government cannot maintain control over the public utterances of retired army or naval officers. In view, however, of the Department’s point 4 I shall await specific instructions before acting.
6. Full text of the article will be forwarded by mail61 on Steamship General Lee from Tokyo, August 12th.
- Not printed.↩