893.102 Tientsin/505: Telegram
The Chargé in Japan (Dooman) to the Secretary of State
[Received September 30—4:46 a.m.]
497. Tokyo papers carried yesterday afternoon and again this morning stories to the effect that Anglo-Japanese conversations rising out of the Tientsin situation are to be resumed shortly.
2. The British Ambassador who has not been well for some time returned to Tokyo on September 28 after 2 weeks absence in the country. During his absence one of the Secretaries of the British Embassy called on me to show a draft telegram to London discussing a suggestion of the British Government that the conversations be renewed. The draft telegram recommended against making an offer to the Japanese to withdraw British troops from Tientsin but expressed assent to the proposition that the conversations be resumed. A new approach to the silver reserve question was suggested, and that was to propose to the Japanese that the silver be used, subject to the approval of the Chinese Government, for flood relief at Tientsin (see [Page 245] paragraph 3 of our 482, September 18, 6 p.m.36). The Secretary stated that the British Ambassador would appreciate having my comment and would welcome my recommending to the Department that the American Government take a favorable view of the British Ambassador’s proposal with regard to the silver question.
I asked Gore-Booth37 to inform the Ambassador that the views which I had expressed to the latter on August 25 (see our 438, August 25, 9 p.m.) had not changed, and I advised against making any new approach to the Japanese at this time. Gore-Booth observed that the Ambassador was being told by many Japanese to strike while Japan was still resentful over the German-Soviet rapprochement, but that I would be informed of the Ambassador’s decision with regard to the draft telegram. I heard nothing further.
3. Upon publication of the stories above-mentioned I made inquiry yesterday afternoon and again consulted with members of British Embassy. I was informed that the Japanese Prime Minister38 had reacted favorably to suggestions by Craigie that the conversations be resumed, that the draft telegram above-mentioned had been despatched to London, and that authorization had been granted by the British Government to Craigie to proceed. During Craigie’s call on the Minister for Foreign Affairs39 on September 28, when all the Chiefs of Mission were received for the first time by the new Foreign Minister, he broached the subject of the conversations but he found Admiral Nomura “quite indifferent”. The British Embassy stated that they have received no definitive reply from the Japanese Foreign Office.
4. Kato is reported to be on his way back to Tokyo. There are rumors that he is to be appointed Ambassador to Germany or to the United States, but in any event it is assumed that he will have further talks with Craigie.
Repeated to Peiping. Peiping please repeat to Tientsin, Shanghai, Chungking.
- Vol. iii, p. 71.↩
- Paul Henry Gore-Booth, Second Secretary of the British Embassy in Japan.↩
- Gen. Nobuyuki Abe.↩
- Adm. Kichisaburo Nomura.↩