Office of the Historian

794.00/159: Telegram

The Ambassador in Japan (Grew) to the Secretary of State

Tokyo, October 21, 1939—11 p.m.
[Received October 21—2:18 p.m.]

539. 1. Admiral Nomura made his first public statement concerning foreign policy last night. The statement was evidently previously prepared and handed or read to the correspondents on the occasion of the Minister’s departure for the Ise shrines. Comment by most papers is largely limited to emphasis on certain excerpts.

2. The statement is divided into seven sections which are summarized as follows:

(a) Disposition of the China incident: the Government will actively assist the movement to establish a new Central Government in China. In so doing full consideration will be given to actual conditions in China and to the general situation at large. A strong government worthy of the confidence of the Chinese people is desired even more than early establishment of any government.

The new order in East Asia which we seek is not the petty anti-foreign movement suspected by third countries but is of such form and substance as will enable East Asia, as East Asia, to contribute most effectively to the peace and progress of the world. The grand [Page 298] resolution of the Japanese people cannot be altered by the intervention of third powers. Our efforts shall be sincerely devoted to creating an understanding on the part of third powers of these two facts.

(b) Relations with Great Britain and France: the key to relations with Great Britain and France is their understanding of this new order in East Asia and their cooperation with Japan to accomplish that order.

(c) (Full translation) Relations with the United States: Ambassador Grew has recently returned to his post, and I therefore look forward to hearing from him the trend of thought in American official and unofficial circles, and to a frank exchange of views concerning the events which have transpired in East Asia during his absence. I am very glad to hear the Ambassador say that he will devote his life to the promotion of friendship between Japan and the United States. Friendship is founded on mutual understanding. Mutual understanding springs from the facing of actual conditions in an unbiased open hearted manner while at the same time placing oneself in another’s position. The Japanese, as I have said, have adopted a broad fundamental ideal and with unshakeable resolution are engaged hi the great work of rebuilding East Asia. I sincerely hope that this objective and this resolution will come to be properly understood in the United States.

It appears that the first concern of the United States with regard to the unfortunate war which has broken out in Europe is, as evidenced by the resolution of the recent Panama Conference,85 to prevent the spreading of that war to the American continents. Japan also has the same concern for East Asia; and is striving by various means to prevent the spread of the European conflict to East Asia. I believe the United States can well understand Japan’s position in this matter and that the United States and Japan while each maintaining peace in its own area should mutually endeavor to establish firmly peace on the Pacific Ocean.

(d) Relations with the Soviet Union: my policy shall be to clear the atmosphere between Japan and Russia and to establish normal relations by amicably settling border and other questions.

(e) Relations with Germany and Italy: the Anti-Comintern Agreement is still a basic part of Japan’s policy and the good relations with these countries on the basis of this agreement have not been affected.

(f) Relations with countries in the South Seas: Japan hopes for mutual prosperity and cooperation with these countries but cannot tolerate assistance to Chiang Kai Shek. Japan is also deeply concerned that vital supplies from those areas not be interrupted.

(g) European war prospects: I believe the European war may well be of long duration.

3. The press was restrained in its comments emphasizing particularly the part of the statement concerning relations with the United States in which Nomura expresses the hope that the United States will realize Japan’s lofty purpose and unshakeable determination.

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4. Comment by the Embassy on Nomura’s statement, except that it is believed to be a sincere expression of his policy, is withheld until after my next interview with him. It may be significant that the Minister’s private secretary yesterday spoke to me very favorably of my speech before the America-Japan Society.86

Repeated to Shanghai. Shanghai please repeat to Chungking, Peiping.

Grew
  1. See the Declaration of Panama on October 3, 1939, printed in vol. v, section entitled “Meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the American Republics …”↩
  2. On October 19; for text of speech, see Foreign Relations, Japan, 1931–1941, vol. ii, p. 19.↩