500.A15A5/473: Telegram
The Chargé in the United Kingdom (Atherton) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 27—9:10 a.m.]
407. My 374, August 16, 3 p.m. I outlined your 229, August 26, 7 p.m., to the Foreign Office this morning who informed me that no reply has been received from the Italians; the French, although asking that the text of their reply be kept confidential, have let the substance of it leak out in Paris; and that the Japanese stated they had no objection to copies of their memorandum being communicated to the other Washington Powers and the contents thereof conveyed orally to the German and Soviet Governments. The Japanese Chargé d’Affaires had no objection to the press being informed that he had delivered a memorandum to the British Government, providing the [Page 103] nature of its contents was not divulged. However, incidentally its contents have come out with respect to Tokyo.
In regard to the United States, Foreign Office will inform the press that, although the American Government had been informally kept advised as to developments and purposes in this connection, and the American Government had orally caused its appreciation to be conveyed for this data, no formal exchange of views or communications had taken place. If further questioned in this matter, the British will state that no further reply was called for and will not admit the existence of a memorandum based on Department’s 211, August 14, 7 p.m. which will be regarded as a “précis of conversation with Craigie”.
The tenor of my conversation at the Foreign Office and the considerations set forth in my 406, August 26 [27], 11 a.m., led me not to make any suggestions in line with the last sentence of the Department’s instructions for the moment.