Office of the Historian

762.94/113: Telegram

The Ambassador in Japan (Grew) to the Secretary of State

Tokyo, December 4, 1936—1 p.m.
[Received December 4—9:35 a.m.]

251. Embassy’s 238, November 23, 6 p.m.

1.
The Foreign Office appears to be surprised at the adverse reaction both in Japan and abroad to the recent agreement with Germany and is making every effort to minimize the effect by categorically denying the existence of a military understanding or participation in a Fascist bloc. For this purpose the Minister for Foreign Affairs yesterday held a general press conference, the second which he has called since taking office. Considerable opposition to the agreement is reflected both in the Japanese press and in conversations with Japanese business men, members of the Diet and others. There seems to be a feeling that Japan should strengthen rather than weaken her relations with the United States and Great Britain and that the suspicion engendered by the agreement with Germany has been unfortunate in that respect.
2.
Leadership in Japan’s part of the negotiations which resulted in the agreement is difficult to trace. Some early conversations seem to have taken place in London between the Japanese Embassy and the German Ambassador. Isogai, Chief of the Bureau of Military Affairs in the Ministry of War, appears to be one of the few active backers of the agreement.
3.
Arita has described the agreement to be as in the nature of a police measure envisaging a standing mixed commission in Berlin in which Japan will be represented by an official from the Home Office. Information will be exchanged and the Japanese Government will proceed only against Japanese subjects at home and abroad who may indulge in communistic activities or propaganda. He said that the pact is aimed against no country and it is hoped that other governments may conclude similar agreements.
4.
Nevertheless the general consensus of opinion among my diplomatic colleagues is that a secret military understanding between the German and Japanese General Staffs has been concluded. It appears that the negotiations were conducted in Berlin by Major General Oshima, the Japanese Military Attaché, and it is quite possible that neither the Japanese Foreign Office nor the Japanese Ambassador in Berlin had any direct participation. Colonel Ott, the German Military Attaché in Tokyo, was called to Berlin suddenly last autumn while the German Ambassador to Japan was in Berlin and the former [Page 405] returned to Japan shortly before the agreement was signed. He is now studiously avoiding talks with the other Military Attachés here.
5.
My British colleague is convinced of the existence of a secret military pact and believes that the lack of success in carrying out the German trade agreement with Manchukuo has led, as one item of the alleged pact, to an arrangement for the shipment of German arms to Manchuria in payment for soya beans and other commodities.
6.
The Soviet Ambassador insists that while the published agreement is only a facade to cover a secret pact for concerted action in case of war with the U. S. S. R. nevertheless this alleged secret pact is also aimed at Great Britain and that an understanding or agreement exists for the division between Japan and Germany of certain British overseas possessions as well as the Dutch East Indies in case of war. He regards the alleged agreement as part and parcel of Japan’s southern expansion program and of Germany’s need for colonies. While these theories may be far fetched, they are in line with the Soviet Ambassador’s usual and perhaps not unreasonable suspicion of Japanese activities and intentions. Yureneff has told me that his Government has indisputable evidence of the existence of a military agreement and he told Clive that this evidence might be published at an opportune moment.
7.
In my talk with the Prime Minister, Hirota made the significant remark that the more the influence of the Comintern and communistic activities spread abroad the closer the relations between Japan and Germany would become.
Grew