894.001H61/75
Memorandum by the Secretary of State
The Japanese Ambassador called accompanied by Mr. Yoshizawa, the new Counselor who has just arrived in Washington, and introduced him to me.
[Page 864]The Ambassador then proceeded to launch into a statement complaining in behalf of his Government of two caricatures, and one in particular, of the Emperor of Japan appearing in the August, 1935, number of Vanity Fair, an American publication. The Ambassador said that of course he realized to a more or less extent the difference in practices, customs and laws in Japan and in the United States; that on the other hand the people of Japan had the greatest possible or imaginable reverence for their Emperor. He implied even stronger feelings of adoration of the Emperor on the part of the people of Japan than reverence,—in fact he implied what is seen in the press from time to time, that the people of Japan are taught that the Emperor has special divine origin and relationships, to say nothing of divine rights as the supreme ruler of Japan; that in these circumstances he hoped I could understand and appreciate how sensitive the people of Japan were with respect to any apparent criticism or reflection upon the Emperor, even though not remotely so intended. He went on to say that this publication had caused and was causing serious repercussions among the people of Japan; that in any event he hoped I might see my way clear to say publicly, after making suitable reference to this occurrence, that I was very sorry about the incident and hoped the author of the caricature could be induced not to repeat it. The Ambassador then said he was informed reliably this morning that Mr. Crowninshield, the publisher of Vanity Fair, had in New York just given out a statement to the correspondents of Japanese newspapers in which he disclaimed in the strongest possible language the slightest idea or purpose or disposition to give offense or to displease the Emperor or the people of Japan in connection with the publication complained of; that his publication was conducted entirely in a more or less frivolous, good-natured and humorous manner; that this was the policy of the paper and that this and many other countries at least so understood and so treated such publications and publicity; that of course, he was very sorry that any person in Japan had taken umbrage, and sorry generally for the occurring of the incident.
I replied by saying that I had read the newspaper accounts of this incident which the Ambassador complained of and that I had seen in the press where the Ambassador was headed this way today; I said jocularly that I hoped the Ambassador was not as hot as the heat through which he had come to make the complaint; that I had read also a news report of a public statement given out by Mr. Crowninshield in which he had emphasized the absolute lack of the slightest disposition to give offense and also the fact that such caricatures were treated in the same light and jocular spirit by those who were made the subject of the same in this country in particular. I further stated [Page 865] that of course it was in some instances as difficult for the people in another country to fully understand the widely differing viewpoints, habits, customs and laws, between their country and this country, as it was for the people of this country to grasp accurately the customs and laws of the people of another country differing equally widely from our own; that, for illustration, it was not fully realized in many parts of the world that every language on earth is spoken in this country; that people originally came here from everywhere to escape some sort of alleged oppression or denial of rights and privileges pertaining to religious, racial or other conditions and considerations; that the fullest and widest freedom of speech, of the press, of religion and similar privileges exist in this country as they do perhaps in no other; that in these circumstances it was very difficult for the people of another country to understand why this Government should not and could not promptly suppress a given act or utterance complained of by another country, such as the caricature in the instant case. I stated then that of course I and a large percentage of the people of this country fully understood and appreciated the great reverence in which the Emperor was held by the people of that country as I did the very different habits, customs and laws of Japan with respect to publications deemed undesirable by the Government; that in any event I was always sorry when any incident occurred that was taken amiss or was the cause of displeasure on the part of any other government. I then said that in a country of free speech and free utterance generally, like the United States, it was very important that the Government should not go too far, even if it were so disposed, in undertaking to curb acts or utterances of individual citizens over which it had no control, lest more harm than good should result in the way of resentment and bitterness. I made no commitment as to just what I would say to the public in connection with the special request of the Ambassador as aforesaid.