793.94/7186: Telegram
The Ambassador in Japan (Grew) to the Secretary of State
[Received July 16—5:30 a.m.]
151. It is announced that General Masaki, Director General of Military Education, has been relieved of his post owing to his objections to certain changes in Army personnel planned by the Minister of War with the approval of Chief of the General Staff, Prince Kanin, a member of the Imperial family.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs told me today that the incident is significant as indicating the control of the Government which must necessarily move slowly and step by step (reference Embassy’s 143, June 29, 11 a.m.). In this specific connection Hirota took occasion to thank me in appreciative terms for the fact that we had not asked him official questions during the crisis in North China because such questions would have rendered all the more difficult his efforts to control the situation.
I am to have a final talk with Hirota on Thursday at 11 a.m. If the Department has any specific views which it would like to have brought to the Minister’s attention as casual comment rather than as official representations, this would be a favorable opportunity to do so.51