793.94 Conference/32: Telegram
The Ambassador in Belgium ( Gibson ) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 15—5:40 p.m.]
87. My telegram No. 86, October 14, 6 p.m. Have learned the following confidentially from the Foreign Office:
Guillaume reported this afternoon from London that tentative formula has been worked out which will be submitted to you this afternoon before referring it to Brussels.
German Minister in The Hague has approached Dutch Foreign Minister with the suggestion that Conference might take place there and in the absence of responsive attitude on the part of Foreign Minister stated that the logical next best would appear to be Brussels. (I report this as of possible significance in that Germany would hardly be taking active interest in the matter unless it were convinced that there was some possibility of Italian participation.)
Spokesman of Japanese Foreign Office has stated that the Belgian Ambassador at Tokyo had made inquiry as to whether Japan would attend the Conference; that he was informed that Japan had not decided against participation but that a decision would be reached when it was made clear that Japan was not invited to appear as the accused. The Belgian Ambassador had no instructions; therefore Foreign Office is convinced that he made nothing more than normal inquiries in order to inform himself as to the situation and it is inferred that the Japanese Government seized upon this as an opportunity to counteract the wide publicity that had been given to Japanese intentions to refuse participation.