751G.94/112
The Department of State to the British Embassy
Aide-Mémoire
Reference is made to the British Embassy’s aide-mémoire of September 12, 1940 in which is expressed the desire of the British Government to be informed whether the Government of the United States would be prepared to instruct its Ambassador at Tokyo to make further representations to the Japanese Government in regard to the situation in Indochina.
Sir Robert Craigie was so kind as to make known to Ambassador Grew the substance of the British Government’s instructions as outlined in the aide-mémoire under reference. Sir Robert also made known the doubt, which it is understood he has expressed to his Government, whether further representations to the Japanese Government in regard to the subject under consideration would have a useful effect and the opinion that if such an approach should be made it would be inadvisable to refer to the Burma Road agreement.
In the light of the foregoing the British Embassy may care to inform the Department of State whether the observations made by Sir Robert have caused the British Government to alter its view that further representations to the Japanese Government in regard to the situation in Indochina should be made at this time.