711.008 North Pacific/271: Telegram
The Ambassador in Japan ( Grew ) to the Secretary of State
[Received January 24—8:40 a.m.]
51. Department’s No. 20, January 22, 3 p.m., Alaska salmon situation. The friendly tone and spirit which are reflected in the instructions which you have given me on this outstanding matter are important because an approach by our Government to this problem along the line of cooperativeness is clearly the course which offers the best aid possibly the only chance of bringing forth a satisfactory solution. Therefore before acting on your instructions and from a desire to use my efforts to the best possible advantage, I lay before you the following possible changes in procedure.
- 1.
- As I have informed the Department on several occasions, the Minister for Foreign Affairs does not have a thorough grasp of the English language. The considerations and arguments as presented by the Department can be employed to the best effect only if the friendly spirit in which they are presented can be fully sensed by the Minister but I doubt whether his knowledge of English is sufficient to enable him to appreciate the full flavor as well as possible implications of what I am to say. It is my intention to go over the matter with him with the utmost care but I believe that there would be possibility of the full force of my representations being lost on him or of some misunderstanding arising unless I leave with him the text of section 1 of the telegram under reference. May I do so, preferably in the form of an aide-mémoire or if the Department does not desire that I communicate any formal document then an informal document headed “orally presented”?
- 2.
- I shall of course take the utmost pains to present the Department’s views to the Minister as clearly and as carefully as possible but if the Department does not desire that any written statement be left with the Minister I shall later have Dooman5 go over the ground again with Yoshizawa6 to ensure against any possible misunderstanding.