893.0146/703
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Adviser on Political Relations (Hornbeck)
The Italian Ambassador called on me, having been referred to me by Mr. Dunn.39 The Ambassador wished to talk about the foreign armed forces in China. In reply to a question which I had put to Mr. Dunn, the Ambassador had stated to Mr. Dunn that he was calling on this subject under instruction from his Government.
The Ambassador opened the conversation with a confused and inaccurate account of the notification (“advice”) given by the Japanese Government to the belligerent governments suggesting that those governments withdraw their naval vessels and troops from China. The Ambassador inquired what were the American Government’s views. I made to the Ambassador a precise statement regarding the “advice” given to the belligerent governments and the information thereof given to this Government and, as we understood it, to the Italian Government. I then said that this Government perceived and admitted no right or warrant for the offering by the Japanese Government of this “advice”. The Ambassador said that he understood that the Secretary and the Japanese Ambassador had recently had two conversations40 [Page 254] and he wondered whether the Secretary had stated this Government’s attitude. I said that the Secretary had reviewed for the Japanese Ambassador the history of Shanghai, the character of the International Settlement, the rights and interests of the United States, our view of common rights and common objectives and common responsibilities in connection with problems of law and order, and our conception of the character and functions of the United States landed forces in China. The Ambassador made no comment and asked no further questions. He made a casual remark to the effect that the world is in turmoil and neutral governments are confronted with many difficult problems. He followed this with various gloomy but platitudinous observations with regard to the situation in Europe. I made; no attempt to comment upon his observations or to dissipate or intensify his gloom.
- James C. Dunn, Adviser on Political Relations.↩
- September 7 and 15; see memoranda by the Secretary of State, September 7 and 15, Foreign Relations, Japan, 1931–1941, vol. ii, pp. 12 and 15, respectively.↩