793.94/9228: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Japan (Grew)
140. Your 250, August 6, 9 p.m., 251, August 6, 10 p.m., and 252, August 7, 2 p.m. You are authorized, when your 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 your view that the approaches by you and by your British colleague 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 Ambassador at Nanking to take no action toward approaching the Chinese Government in the matter pending the receipt of further instructions.