Office of the Historian

793.94 Conference/72: Telegram

The Ambassador in Japan (Grew) to the Secretary of State

Tokyo, October 20, 1937—5 p.m.
[Received October 20—1:36 p.m.]

482. Our 475, October 15, 5 p.m.

1.
Yesterday, the Asahi, one of the leading papers, editorially raised the question whether it would not be advantageous for Japan to attend the Nine Power Conference. It was stated that if the purpose of the Conference is to sit in judgment on Japan, national honor must prevent Japan from attending, or if it is to implement the policy of the League of Nations to help China, Japan should announce in no uncertain terms its intention not to appear. The editorial points out, however, that if the purpose of the Conference is to study the causes of unrest in the Far East, and opportunity would be had for Japan to demonstrate that the Nine Power Treaty is obsolete, to prove that China has long pursued a policy of hostility toward Japan, and to cite examples of Chinese violations of treaties. It suggests that the course of wisdom would be for Japan to attend and “from inside the Conference to bomb anti-Japanese feeling”.
2.
Last night a Japanese with excellent connections in military and other official circles informed us confidentially that the Asahi editorial expressed a point of view that is being strongly advocated by progressive and forward looking leaders. However, he was not hopeful that their arguments would prevail.
3.
Byas13 states that the attitude on this question of the Foreign Office spokesman is no longer one of affirming that Japan would not attend. This morning the spokesman declined to commit himself in any way.
4.
Our views at this time on this must be largely speculative in character. We believe that the military element does not favor Japan’s being represented at the forthcoming Conference even if the only purpose of the Conference were to be to search for a plan for peace in the Far East. However, if the terms of the invitation (we are informed by the Foreign Office that no invitation has as yet been received by Japan) are such as to make it possible for Japan consistently with “national honor” to attend there may be a chance that the Japanese Government will agree to being represented in some limited form. The arguments put forward in favor of using the Conference as a sounding board for the case of Japan appear to be attractive. Nevertheless it would be entirely too optimistic to believe [Page 94] that the military with their pronounced hostility toward Western intervention in the Far East would agree to unconditional Japanese representation: it is probable that they would in any case insist upon rigid conditions being laid down with regard to Japanese participation in discussion of any peace plan.

Repeated to Nanking.

Grew
  1. Hugh Byas, British correspondent of the London Times and the New York Times.↩