Office of the Historian

893.102 Tientsin/480: Telegram

The Chargé in Japan (Dooman) to the Secretary of State

Tokyo, August 25, 1939—9 p.m.
[Received August 25—3:22 p.m.]

438. 1. I called on the British Ambassador this afternoon. He informed me that he had received instructions to consult with the French Ambassador and me on the question whether it would be possible to reestablish on a friendly basis Japan’s relations with our respective countries.

2. I found the British Ambassador fairly optimistic with regard to the proposition but he felt that it would be essential first of all to dispose of the Tientsin situation. Nevertheless, he stressed that the first objective would be to prevent Japan from yielding to the tempting offer when made of a non-aggression pact with the Soviet Union and thus linking up with Germany.26 He thought that this having been [Page 238] accomplished we might then proceed toward improving in some positive manner our respective relations with Japan. He repeatedly stressed, however, the need for disposing of the Tientsin question. I expressed the view that we should not proceed too rapidly; that we should first of all watch the local political situation; and that if there should be a change of government we would then be in a position to determine with a reasonable degree of accuracy what the attitude of the new government would be towards the democratic nations on the one hand and Germany and Soviet Russia on the other. If, as seemed to me most unlikely, the new government should show itself well disposed toward the latter countries, it was my opinion that the obstinate Tientsin situation would not operate in any way to restrain or divert that trend. I therefore suggested that the British Ambassador in the meantime not press the Japanese for a settlement of the economic questions arising out of the Tientsin situation.

3. We agreed to exchange information and views freely while awaiting further developments here and in Europe. Any information or suggestions which the Department may wish to give me in this connection would be greatly appreciated.

Dooman
  1. See vol. iii, pp. 1 ff.↩