793.94119/411

The British Embassy to the Department of State

Aide-Mémoire

His Majesty’s Ambassador15 recently had occasion to inform the Department of State of an approach made early in February by the Japanese Ambassador in London16 to Mr. Eden,17 in which Mr. Yoshida suggested on his own personal initiative and without instructions [Page 140] from his Government that an opportunity might shortly occur for an offer of good offices by His Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom in order to bring the hostilities in the Far East to a close. Mr. Eden explained to Mr. Yoshida that it would be possible for His Majesty’s Government to use their good offices except in conjunction with the Government of the United States, and that in the light of the similarity of their positions in the Far East, and the parallel action which they had been taking, it would be only natural that His Majesty’s Government should wish to approach the United States Government if any such step were contemplated.

Commenting on Mr. Yoshida’s suggestion, His Majesty’s Ambassador at Tokyo18 has expressed the opinion that if ever the time arrives to offer good offices in the Sino-Japanese dispute there is no doubt that combined Anglo-American action would be the best course from every point of view. Sir Robert Craigie reports, however, that he has recently received indications from one or two well-informed quarters that public opinion in Japan is not likely to welcome or even accept joint action by the United Kingdom and the United States owing to the implications of pressure in so powerful a combination. On the other hand he is told that influential opinion is coming more and more to the view that when the right time comes good offices by either the United States or Great Britain would be the best and surest method of settling the dispute. But Sir Robert Craigie does not at the present moment see any prospect of useful intermediary action except in the improbable event of Marshal Chiang Kai Shek being willing to retire in order to bring peace to his country. He admits at the same time that the situation may change at any moment.

As at present advised the feeling of His Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom is that although they would much prefer joint mediation they should not definitely exclude the possibility of mediation by one government, and that it is not of any great importance whether that government be His Majesty’s Government or the United States Government if the Japanese set any store by one mediating rather than the other. They do, however, think that whichever Government mediates should keep the other neutral governments, including the German Government, reasonably well informed of the progress of negotiations.

Sir Ronald Lindsay is instructed to invite the views of the United States Government on this question, pending the receipt of which His Majesty’s Government prefer not to form any final opinion of their own.19

  1. Sir Ronald Lindsay, British Ambassador in the United States.
  2. Shigeru Yoshida.
  3. Then British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
  4. Sir Robert L. Craigie.
  5. For the Department’s reply, see Foreign Relations, Japan, 1931–1941, vol. i, p. 463.