793.94/12070: Telegram
The Chargé in Germany (Gilbert) to the Secretary of State
[Received January 13—9 a.m.]
11. A Chief of Mission here of a State having interests in the Far East showed me last evening a copy of a despatch which the diplomatic representative of his country at London had addressed to his Government which recounted the following: Eden33 before leaving for the Riviera had asked him to come to see him and had stated that he believed it to be highly possible that the Japanese would attack Hong Kong and that in such a case Great Britain would certainly declare war on Japan. Eden had added that London was in daily touch with Washington and that he entertained hopes that in such an eventuality Great Britain could count on the military support of the United States.
My informant said that he had shown me the despatch in strict confidence as he wanted to obtain my views on possible American action in the circumstances envisaged.
I told him in reply that as far as American public opinion was concerned, in view of the strained relations in the Far East, the course that the United States might pursue under various conditions was from time to time the subject of speculation in the American press but that in so far as I could observe from that source there was nothing approaching a definite crystallization of a common view. Respecting what official attitude my Government might adopt in the specific expectations mentioned I could throw no light whatsoever.
- Anthony Eden, British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.↩