Office of the Historian

761.9411/61: Telegram

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

Tokyo, December 6, 1939—8 p.m.
[Received December 6—10:50 a.m.]

664. Our 663, December 6, 7 p.m.

1.
The Director of the American Bureau during an informal and confidential discussion of Japan’s relations with the Soviet Union said that so far as he knew there were no negotiations of a political character taking place with that country, the negotiations dealing with a trade treaty and with demarcation of boundaries and other specific problems falling obviously into a different category. He was told by us that there is most reliable evidence that Japanese military officers are in touch with Soviet military officers and that although there has been no suggestion from any responsible quarter that a non-aggression treaty is being discussed indications are too definite to be ignored that some arrangement is being considered which the Japanese [Page 96] Army could conclude without reference to the Government: conservative speculation suggested an agreement delimiting respective Japanese and Soviet strategic areas in China. Yoshizawa made the comment that he knows of no such conversations but that he is aware of a strong feeling in the General Staff that if the Soviet Government could be persuaded to withdraw support from China, the conclusion of the conflict in China would be hastened. However, he could say definitely that a treaty of non-aggression is not being discussed with the Soviet Government.
2.
There emerged from the ensuing conversation the following presentation of Japanese policy toward the Soviet Union: there is not being considered the possibility of concluding any special political arrangement with the Soviet Union prior to and in anticipation of any critical situation arising out of the termination of the commercial treaty with the United States.10 The Japanese Government is well aware of the intense feeling against Russia which has exploded in the United States as a result of Soviet aggression against Finland11 and has no intention of prejudicing the prospects of adjustment of relations with the United States by conclusively tying up with Russia. If, however, relations with the United States should progressively deteriorate and were optimism with regard to future developments affecting those relations completely excluded, “Japan would be driven into a corner and would have to find some way of escape”.
3.
It is expected that the trade negotiations at Moscow will make rapid progress upon the arrival of Matsushima, formerly Director of the Commercial Bureau and newly appointed Minister to Sweden, who will proceed to his post by way of Moscow.
Grew
  1. See pp. 558 ff., and Foreign Relations, Japan, 1931–1941, vol. ii, pp. 189 ff. For text of treaty signed February 21, 1911, see Foreign Relations 1911, p. 315.↩
  2. See vol. i , section entitled “Concern of the United States Over Soviet Demands on Finland …↩