393.112/64: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Chargé in Japan (Dooman)
269. On August 26 the Japanese Ambassador49 called on me at his own request and, referring to reports published in the American press to the effect that American officials were incorrectly attributing anti-American movements and demonstrations in China to Japanese officials or to their influence, handed me an unofficial memorandum50 in which reference was made to reports in regard to the safety of Americans at Kaifeng, Hwoshien and Shihchiachwang. It was stated in the memorandum that such incidents are “mostly cases arising from misunderstanding, exigencies of the situation or the difference of customs” and that “not a single incident occurred because the person concerned was an American”. I then briefly reviewed to the Ambassador information received in the Department in regard to the campaign against westerners in China, including Americans, carried out or instigated by Japanese and cited recent instances of adverse effect on Americans of such anti-foreign activities.
Some discussion then followed in regard to the international situation and I took the opportunity to make certain comments in regard to the situation as between the United States and Japan, substantially as follows:
[Page 377][Here follows quotation of the Secretary’s observations as given in his memorandum of August 26, printed in Foreign Relations, Japan, 1931–1941, volume I, page 851, beginning “The principles and practices of American policy …”]
Sent to Tokyo. Repeated to Chungking and Peiping.
- Kensuke Horinouchi.↩
- Foreign Relations, Japan, 1931–1941, vol. i, p. 853.↩