711.942/403: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Counselor of Embassy in China (Peck), at Chungking51
240. Referring to a conversation which the American Ambassador to Japan had today with the Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs on the subject of Japanese-American relations, the American Ambassador and the Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs mutually agreed upon a press release reading as follows:
“The Minister for Foreign Affairs and the American Ambassador this afternoon continued their conversations with regard to matters of interest to the two countries. Both the Minister and the Ambassador indicated a mutually helpful attitude towards a solution of the problems under discussion. Progress was made. The conversations will be continued.”
No statement that the American Ambassador gave any “assurances” or pledges to the Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs is warranted. You are authorized so to inform the Foreign Office informally and similarly to inform any inquirers.
Sent to Chungking. Repeated to Peiping and Shanghai.
- The same telegram to the Embassy in France, December 22, 7 p.m., as No. 1556, and to the Embassy in the United Kingdom, December 22, 8 p.m., as No. 1663.↩