701.4194/26: Telegram
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Bingham) to the Secretary of State
[Received March 13—9:12 a.m.]
142. The appointment is officially announced this morning of Sir Robert Craigie47 to succeed Clive as British Ambassador in Tokyo.
An article in the Times this morning from its Tokyo correspondent dealing with Sato’s speech in the House of Peers on March 12th concludes:
“It is officially explained that Mr. Sato’s remark about a new departure in China policy applied to methods, not policy. Whatever views the Japanese Foreign Minister may hold on China policy, these in practice are always affected by the army’s fixed conviction that Manchukuo’s security entitles Japan to regard North China as a special area.
[Page 43]The most that can be safely assumed is that the army admits that the recent negotiations turned out badly and has agreed to a fresh start. Whether the change in method means a change of heart must be doubted till concrete proposals are reached.”
This is of interest since it is not out of line with the tenor of a comprehensive discussion with Cadogan yesterday on the Far East situation in general. The memorandum goes forward by pouch.48