751G.94/141: Telegram
The Ambassador in Japan (Grew) to the Secretary of State
[Received September 23—8:55 a.m.]
880. 1. The French Embassy informs me that the official communiqué quoted in paragraph 2 of our 881, September 23, 6 p.m.,95 was by mutual agreement to have been published in Vichy, Hanoi and Tokyo this morning on the entry of Japanese troops into Indochina but that owing to the reported clash between Japanese and Indochinese troops at Dongdang the Foreign Office informed the French Ambassador that the publication in Japan of the communiqué would be delayed until the irritation aroused by the clash had subsided although the Japanese Government realized that the clash had occurred through delayed transmission of orders to the Indochinese troops and was not disposed to hold the French Government responsible. Apparently as a result of the representations of the French Ambassador, a communiqué was published in Tokyo this afternoon (our 881, September 23, 6 p.m., paragraph numbered 1) but the Department will observe that it materially differs from the text which the French Embassy informs me was jointly agreed upon.
2. The French Embassy further informs me that prior to the signing of the Franco-Japanese agreement in Hanoi, the Japanese military made further unreasonable demands but it is understood that these demands were finally withdrawn. The present agreement according to the French Embassy provides for the passage of Japanese forces through Indochina and the occupation and use of three air bases with adequate Japanese personnel to man the bases. The agreement is said to be exclusively military and to include no commercial or economic [Page 145] provisions although such provisions may be the subject of future negotiations.
Sent to the Department, repeated to Shanghai for Chungking.
- Infra.↩