894.00/700: Telegram
The Ambassador in Japan (Grew) to the Secretary of State
[Received March 4—7:15 a.m.]
69. 1. Naotake Sato, until now Japanese Ambassador to France, was installed as Minister for Foreign Affairs last evening. Sato has spent over 30 years in the Japanese Foreign Service, all in Europe except for 5 years as Consul General at Harbin. He has had no service in China proper or the Americas.
2. Domei states that Sato is honest and genial but at the same time has a stern character and a “samurai-like solidity”.
3. In an interview with Japanese newspapermen last night Sato expressed the opinion that the foreign policy of a state should possess continuity and that therefore it would probably be necessary for him to adapt his preconceived views on foreign policy to the need for continuity (in other words, he is not planning radical changes in policy). He admitted that he anticipated some difficulty in reconciling his views with those of other members of the Cabinet (presumably those of the army and navy ministers) and regretted that his task would be much the more difficult by the fact that his long residence abroad had prevented him from becoming familiar with domestic political conditions.
4. Sato’s appointment was generally well received this morning by the vernacular press. The Asahi anticipated that Sato will establish a strong unified diplomacy, based on agreement of views between the Foreign Office, the army and the navy and centered on policies vis-à-vis China and the Soviets. The Hochi believed that Sato will defend liberalism in diplomacy. The Nichi Nichi stated that Sato is the most suitable choice from among the career diplomats and stressed the need for unified diplomacy. The Yomiuri expressed the opinion that Sato’s lack of intimate knowledge of China and full knowledge of Europe may be an asset because half of the difficulty in dealing with China arises from European and American influence in that country.
Repeated to Peiping.