793.94/13847: Telegram
The Ambassador in Japan (Grew) to the Secretary of State
[Received September 9—8:25 a.m.]
591. Our 590, September 8, 11 p.m. Craigie informs me that in his talk yesterday with the Minister for Foreign Affairs Ugaki held up the United States as a paragon of virtue in contradistinction to Great Britain. This tends to bear out reliable reports which have come to us to the effect that there is a strong element within the Japanese Government which advocates (in the observation of one informant) “throwing Great Britain out of China and at the same time conciliating and favoring the United States”. This informant added however that the predominant view in the Foreign Office is that the United States and Great Britain must be considered for all practical purposes in connection with the Far Eastern situation as one unit and that Japan cannot take aggressive measures against the interests of either nation without eventually becoming involved with the other.
I request that there be no repetition of this telegram.