611.939/285
The Ambassador in Japan (Grew) to the Secretary of State
[Received March 8.]
Sir: I have the honor to refer to our despatch No. 4464 [4454], dated January 29, 1940, transmitting a copy of our note verbale to the Japanese Foreign Office, No. 1467, dated January 27, 1940,53 concerning egg trade restrictions in the Yangtze valley.
The Japanese reply thereto, dated February 9, 1940, has just been received and a translation thereof is enclosed.54 The reply states that the statement contained in our note verbale, to the effect that the Japanese authorities are extending to Japanese commercial firms a monopoly in the egg trade and further that this instance is an example of the monopolizing of trade and enterprise, may be based upon some misunderstanding on our part; that, however, an agreement has been reached in this question which shortly will be put into effect and that [Page 499] the Foreign Office hopes that Japanese and American interests will cooperate to the end that the agreement may operate harmoniously.
Respectfully yours,