894.20211 Tachibana, Itaru/20: Telegram
The Ambassador in Japan ( Grew ) to the Secretary of State
[Received June 28—11:14 a.m.]
890. Embassy’s June 24 [26?], 10 p.m., American missionaries in Korea. The Foreign Minister’s secretary as well as an official of the [Page 283] American Bureau stated definitely today that the initiative in obtaining special treatment for the American missionaries in Korea was taken by Mr. Matsuoka himself on the basis of the treatment accorded Tachibana in the United States, and that the Foreign Minister had sent a personal telegram to the Governor General a few days ago in that sense. The reply was likewise a short personal message and he did not state definitely whether all or only some of the missionaries involved in the two cases would be permitted to leave Korea, No reply could be obtained to the question as to what would happen if the missionaries refused to accept the proposed conditions. These and other details will be forwarded by mail to the Foreign Office in a few days, and will be made available immediately to the Embassy, it was promised.
No mention was made of the Matsuo case. The impression was received that the Tachibana case embarrassed the Foreign Minister and other foreign officials and that they were seeking a method of reciprocating for the furtherance of friendly relations.