711.94/2175: Telegram
The Ambassador in Japan (Grew) to the Secretary of State
Tokyo, August 7,
1941—4 p.m.
[Received August 7—11:40 a.m.]
[Received August 7—11:40 a.m.]
1184. The Japanese86 mentioned in Embassy’s 943, July 6, 8 p.m.,87 paragraph numbered 3, made the following statements in the course of a conversation with a member of my staff last evening. He has long been closely associated with his principal and therefore may reflect to a certain degree his principal’s views.
- 1.
- The one hope for an adjustment of Japanese American relations lies in Premier Konoye. He exerts a strong stabilizing influence in the Government the younger officials of which are at the moment strongly anti-American. The staff of the Embassy in Washington badly needs strengthening. Ambassador Nomura is exceedingly able but has no competent advisers. It is astounding that Wakasugi could have made such a stupid remark to Acting Secretary Welles as his professed complete ignorance of Japan’s intentions in French Indochina.
- 2.
- The Prime Minister is aware of the fact that Ambassador Grew would like to be able to see him personally in the way that Ambassador Nomura freely sees President Roosevelt. The real reason such interviews have not been accorded is the fear that they might not be kept secret since the Japanese authorities would, of course, know the contents of reports which the Embassy might send to Washington. Informant added, “I believe, however, that you do have one confidential code.”
- 3.
- The informant’s brother88 in a telephone conversation from Berlin remarked that it was nonsense for the Japanese to believe that the German campaign in Russia is not progressing successfully. On the contrary, he insisted that the campaign was progressing exactly according to schedule and asked why Japan did not immediately attack Russia. Informant said it was his turn to reply “nonsense.”
- 4.
- The most “dangerous” Cabinet (from the British and American standpoint) would be one headed by Matsuoka concurrently holding the portfolio of Foreign Minister. Informant remarked that the Embassy’s interpretation of the recent Cabinet change had been accurate. He further remarked that the Foreign Office had received practically no telegrams from Oshima in Berlin since the new Cabinet had taken office, intimating that neither Oshima nor the Germans were pleased.
- 5.
- Informant said he believed Toyoda would welcome an opportunity to develop closer contact with me and that further conversation between us might be extremely valuable at this time.
Grew