793.94/9071
Memorandum by the Chief of the Division of Far Eastern Affairs (Hornbeck)
The Japanese Ambassador81 called at his own request at 12:45 this afternoon.
The Secretary sent for Mr. Hornbeck.
(Note: Before this conversation, the Secretary and Mr. Hornbeck had discussed the latest news which had come over the ticker. This included news of an increasingly threatening situation in North China, of a Japanese attack upon and entry through the southwest gate at Peiping, and news that the Japanese Ambassador had been ordered by his Government to leave tomorrow for Tokyo.)
When Mr. Hornbeck entered, the Secretary said that he was greatly relieved to find that the Ambassador had not been ordered home. The Ambassador stated that he had had no word of any such instruction but that he was told that a close friend expected to talk to him on the telephone from Tokyo this evening. Mr. Hornbeck remarked that in a good many cases we are informed or misinformed of coming events by the press before we have any information from our own sources.
The Secretary asked then what was the character of the news which the Ambassador had of the situation in North China. The Ambassador said that on the whole it was reassuring. He then proceeded to read, somewhat stumblingly, from telegraph forms on which there were Japanese characters. What he read related to certain very minor clashes between Japanese and Chinese troops, (especially in connection with the cutting of telephone wires) with a considerable amount of detail, all of which sounded of no consequence. He said that this probably related to minor clashes which had occured in connection with evacuation by Chinese troops. He said that evacuation was taking place but that a part of the 38th Division (sic) was recalcitrant and that, even though the Chinese generals had given appropriate orders, their troops were badly disciplined and there were bound to be some minor incidents. He thought that the situation was well in hand and that there was no reason for apprehension.
The Secretary referred to the messages which had been exchanged between Mr. Hirota and himself when Mr. Hirota became Foreign Minister (the first time).82 The Ambassador explained that Hirota [Page 266] had been Foreign Minister and then, early this year, had resigned; and that later, when Prince Konoye became Prime Minister, Hirota wanted to help Konoye (who had never before held a cabinet post) and had accepted the post of Foreign Minister. The Secretary inquired when had Prince Konoye made his visit to this country. The Ambassador replied that it was in 1934 shortly after Hirota had become Foreign Minister (the first time). The Secretary said that he placed great reliance on what Hirota had said in his message to him and on the good intent of Prince Konoye. The Ambassador expressed concurrence.
The Secretary inquired whether Mr. Hornbeck would wish to make any comment or ask questions. The Ambassador, without waiting, said that there was another matter, which he had intended to take up with Mr. Hornbeck but which he might as well bring up while we were all together: with reference to the incident of the rough handling of two American ladies in Peiping, he had reported to the Japanese Ambassador at Peiping the purport of what Mr. Hornbeck had said to Mr. Suma last week (July 22)83 and he now had a telegram from the Japanese Chargé d’Affaires there saying that on July 22 in the course of a conversation with the American Ambassador the Chargé d’Affaires had brought this matter up casually and had referred to the apology which had been made by the commanding officer of the Japanese guard and the American Ambassador had expressed himself as satisfied. The Secretary looked inquiringly at Mr. Hornbeck, as did also the Japanese Ambassador. After a moment of reflection, Mr. Hornbeck said that, as he had stated to Mr. Suma, we are not pressing the matter, but, in the light of what the Ambassador had just said, it could not be but noted that no Japanese diplomatic official had as yet expressed any regret; what he, Mr. Hornbeck, had said to Mr. Suma had been intended to make it possible for the Japanese to understand the American reaction; here was a case where a little indication by Japanese diplomatic officialdom of simple and polite regret would be in international relations what the dropping in of a little oil into a piece of machinery that is creaking is in the realm of mechanical friction. The Ambassador smiled and nodded assent and said that he would mention this again to his people in Peiping. Mr. Hornbeck said that he would not suggest that that be done, in fact he would suggest that it be not done, as there was no use magnifying the incident as such.
The Secretary asked when the Ambassador intended to return to Hot Springs. The Ambassador said that it was his present plan to go tomorrow afternoon—unless something came up in the interval to interfere. The Secretary said that he hoped that further developments [Page 267] would be reassuring: the world is in a great state of uncertainty and confusion; we set great store by the thought of cooperation among the more responsible powers in efforts toward stability and peace.
- Hirosi Saito.↩
- Exchanged February 21 and March 3, 1934, Foreign Relations, Japan, 1931–1941, vol. i, pp. 127–128.↩
- See memorandum by the Chief of the Division of Far Eastern Affairs, July 22, vol. iv p. 236.↩