793.94/9217: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Bingham)
Washington, August 7, 1937—1
p.m.
338. Your 531, August 6, 8 p.m.
- 1.
- Ambassador Grew has now informed the Department of the substance of the telegram which the British Chargé at Tokyo has sent to the British Foreign Office stating that the Chargé believes that another offer along the lines proposed by London would do no harm and that there is some basis for hope that the making of such a proposal would have a useful effect. Ambassador Grew has also telegraphed the Department that he “cannot conscientiously recommend [Page 350] against a final effort by the American and British Governments in offering their good offices on the practical basis proposed by the British Government making it abundantly clear that the proposal is in no sense intervention. We feel that the chances of acceptance in Tokyo are small but not necessarily hopeless. Much would depend on the method and manner of approach. Publicity should be most carefully avoided.” Ambassador Grew emphasizes that in his opinion an oral, confidential, semi-informal and exploratory conversation with the Minister for Foreign Affairs along the lines of the British proposal would be more likely to bring favorable results and certainly more likely to avoid any possible resentment than the communication of a formal proposal delivered as a diplomatic démarche.
- 2.
- The Department is telegraphing Ambassador Grew68 authorizing him, when his British colleague is authorized and prepared to take action along similar lines, to make at a reasonably early date an approach to the Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs along the lines indicated. The Department concurs in Ambassador Grew’s view that the approach by the American and British diplomatic representatives should be made separately and not jointly and in an oral, confidential, semi-informal and exploratory way. The Department feels also that there is greater likelihood that such approaches by our two Governments may be productive of good results and that unfortunate publicity be avoided if the approach is made in first instance to the Japanese Government alone. The Department is therefore instructing the American Ambassador at Nanking to take no action toward approaching the Chinese Government in the matter pending the receipt of further instructions.
- 3.
- Please inform the Foreign Office immediately.
Hull