793.94 Conference/302: Telegram
The Chairman of the American Delegation (Davis) to the Secretary of State
[Received November 25—10:30 p.m.]
56. The British are strongly in favor of a joint Anglo-American offer to mediate between Japan and China. They admit that the time is probably not yet opportune but think it may come in the near future. They also think that as long as Japan is unwilling to make a constructive or reasonably just settlement she would discourage mediation by the two of us and perhaps try to work it around for Germany and Italy to mediate believing that she would thus put the other interested powers in an embarrassing position and be able to effect a settlement more favorable to herself than if other powers were the mediators. I have told the British in substance that I would be glad for us to see the thoughts of our two Governments working along parallel lines as to methods of approach and possible terms of settlement which would be a sine qua non to safely attempting mediation, but that we should then be guided by developments and I would want to confer with Washington before reaching any conclusion or making any tentative commitment. The British evidently feel as we do that Japan will jockey on the question of mediation. The Japanese Ambassador here sent me word that he was confident his country would be glad to have American mediation particularly if we would act through Grew. He told the British that he was sure that his [Page 230] Government would be favorable to British mediation alone. He told the Italians that he was prepared to recommend to his Government on his responsibility that they accept mediation by the Shanghai Committee. Aldrovandi has in conference approached me several times here and suggested that Great Britain, France, Italy and the United States mediate as members of the Shanghai Committee and said he believed that they could induce Japan to accept this. That is quite possible. On the other hand the British are opposed to this because they feel satisfied that the problem of composing the difference between the members of such a mediating committee would be about as great as that of bringing Japan and China together. We suspect that the strong opinion expressed by the Japanese and reported by Craigie and Grew against joint Anglo-American cooperation was in line with Japanese strategy of trying to keep us apart just as in the preliminary naval negotiations they tried to drive a wedge between us by playing one off against the other. They unquestionably feel that as long as they can keep us from standing together they are safe from outside pressure. I feel that the more the Japanese think that the British and ourselves are cooperating closely and earnestly for a fair and peaceful solution and are not making threats the greater are the chances of success. I realize, however, that it is important to avoid giving any erroneous impression that we are playing the British game or committing ourselves to join in coercive measures.
The Chinese are standing off Italian proffers of mediation and probably also German.
We suggest that you take no moves and make no commitments on the subject of mediation until we shall have had an opportunity to discuss it with you in Washington.