861.24/613: Telegram
The Ambassador in Japan (Grew) to the Secretary of State
[Received 2:10 a.m.]
1419. At the instance of the Foreign Minister, the Chief of the American Bureau called this morning and said that he wished me to [Page 430] take note of the fact that the Soviet Government had planted many mines, presumably in its territorial waters, and that some of these mines had become loose and were now floating in the open Sea of Japan. He was under the impression that at least one Japanese fishing vessel had been damaged by the explosion of one of these mines.96 No reference was made to American vessels proceeding to Vladivostok but the implication was obvious.
- Similar information was given to the Department by the Japanese Embassy in a note of September 15 (861.801/67). An Embassy representative added, “to prevent any misunderstanding on the part of the United States in the event American vessels collided with Soviet mines.”↩