Office of the Historian

740.0011 European War 1939/10998: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Japan (Grew)

Washington, May 17, 1941—6 p.m.

280. Your 698, May 17, 11 a.m.68 The Department believes that in your talk with the Minister for Foreign Affairs it would be desirable [Page 202] for you to stress the fact that the attitude of the United States toward the world movement of conquest is based upon the fundamental consideration of the inalienable right of self-defense and that this country will of course take such measures of self-defense as may be necessary in resistance to a movement which, as the utterances and acts of the Nazi leaders have made abundantly clear, is directed to world conquest by force. It is suggested that you might appropriately refer to pertinent passages of the Secretary’s address before the American Society of International Law on April 24.69 The text of the address is contained in Radio Bulletin No. 97 of that date.

Hull
  1. Not printed; it reported Mr. Matsuoka’s wish to see Mr. Grew “for another talk” on May 19.↩
  2. See extracts from address handed to the Japanese Ambassador on May 16, Foreign Relations, Japan, 1931–1941, vol. ii, p. 430.↩