793.94/13999: Telegram
The Ambassador in Japan (Grew) to the Secretary of State
Tokyo, October 4, 1938—4
p.m.
[Received October 4—9:20 a.m.]
[Received October 4—9:20 a.m.]
643. The following reports one of my periodic talks today with my British colleague.
- 1.
- Craigie feels that Anglo-Japanese relations are steadily deteriorating and that the anti-British campaign by the reactionaries is becoming intensified.
- 2.
- The local press reports that in a press interview yesterday the Prime Minister was asked whether, as Minister for Foreign Affairs, he would continue the so-called “Ugaki–Craigie conversations” and he was quoted as replying that while the Vice Minister would normally conduct such interviews, he himself would receive the British Ambassador if the latter insisted, the press ascribing to Prince Konoye a distinctly condescending tone. Craigie has therefore asked the Foreign Office for a report as to precisely what the Minister did say.
- 3.
- The Vice Minister yesterday taxed Craigie with the alleged fact that the British delegate at Geneva had the text of the resolution applying to Japan the sanction clause of the Covenant22 and appeared very angry at this reported action. He repeated to Craigie that [Page 307] Great Britain should make some important gesture of friendship to Japan in order to remove the current belief that Great Britain is definitely hostile.
- 4.
- Craigie learns from two sources that plans are now afoot to take Canton prior to the final attack on Hankow and has reason to believe that the proposed move is being inspired by the Germans. The latter are reported to hold the opinion that the fall of Hankow will not in itself prove decisive in terminating the conflict; that Germany desires Japan to emerge from the conflict as still a strong power and therefore feels that every effort should be made to reach an early decision; and that the fall of Canton, by effectively cutting off Chiang Kai Shek from the outside world, would tend to hasten the successful conclusion of the conflict.
- 5.
- We have no direct evidence tending to confirm the plans reported in paragraph 4.
Grew