711.94/1001
Memorandum by the Secretary of State
The Japanese Ambassador37 came in with the so-called traveling Japanese Ambassador, Mr. Yoshida, and presented him to me.
Mr. Yoshida was very cordial and agreeable in his conversation. I jocularly remarked that it would be appropriate for our so-called traveling Ambassador, Mr. Norman Davis, to be present on the occasion of this visit of Mr. Yoshida, who, with the rank of Ambassador, is traveling from country to country around the world. He then stated, in answer to my inquiry, that he was traveling from capital to capital and was now making his way homeward; that his only mission to Washington was to visit his Embassy, and that he was calling on me only to pay his respects.
Mr. Yoshida then requested me to give him a message that he might take back to Foreign Minister Hirota in Tokyo. I at once replied that I would be glad for him to take back to Mr. Hirota, as my message, the substance and the spirit of the letter of Foreign Minister Hirota to me last spring and my reply to the same.38 I added that I would renew, repeat, and revitalize the subject-matter of these two letters as a message to his Foreign Minister.
I then added that it would be very fine if vociferous persons who had been indulging in unnecessary, untimely and, in most respects, impractical talking in our various countries would only subside for a time and give the great body of the people, and even the statesmen, opportunity for genuine reflection and calm and solid thinking, this [Page 841] would most contribute to the mutual welfare of both of our countries and of all countries. I further remarked that statesmen and leaders of thought everywhere then could go forward in a clearer atmosphere and promote suitable and desirable international policies that would be equally beneficial to their respective populations.
The Ambassador expressed his approval, but he did not undertake to elaborate or indicate any undue enthusiasm. I repeated then that there had been entirely too much unnecessary and pointless talking all along the line for any desirable purpose on the part of anybody.
- Hirosi Saito.↩
- Foreign Relations, Japan, 1931–1941, vol. i, pp. 127, 128.↩