611.9417/138
Memorandum by Mr. Eugene H. Dooman of the Division of Far Eastern Affairs
Mr. Yoshizawa called me on the telephone at my house last night at about 11:30. He said that the Japanese Ambassador and he had just completed a trans-Pacific telephone conversation with the Foreign Office at Tokyo, and that to his great regret he was directed to say that the Japanese Government could not proceed toward the conclusion of a gentlemen’s agreement covering the imports into the United [Page 893] States of cotton piece goods, so long as the American Government is not in position to direct American consuls in Japan to refuse certification of consular invoices covering shipments of cotton piece goods not covered by Japanese export permits.
Mr. Yoshizawa expressed his deep personal regret that the long and arduous efforts made by the Japanese Ambassador and himself, as well as by officers of the Department, had been fruitless. He expressed the appreciation of the Ambassador for the sympathetic consideration and attitude shown by officers of the Department and of the Tariff Commission. I reciprocated these sentiments, and further expressed the thought that it was fortunate from the point of view of relations between the United States and Japan that the Japanese Government had come to the decision, before concluding the arrangement, that it could not be made to work. Mr. Yoshizawa concurred.
With mutual expressions of regret the conversation ended.