711.94/2303: Telegram
The Ambassador in Japan (Grew) to the Secretary of State
[Received September 20—12:40 p.m.]
1491. For the Secretary and Under Secretary only. The Counselor called this morning on the Director of the American Bureau [Page 465] to communicate the substance of the first part of the Department’s 596, September 18, 4 [6] p.m. The Director, by way of comment, said that the only way in which he could explain the extraordinary delay by Admiral Nomura in carrying out the instructions of the Foreign Minister is that Admiral Nomura had assumed that the communication by the Foreign Minister to me on September 13 of the replies of the Japanese Government to our various questions rendered unnecessary any approach by himself (Admiral Nomura).
In this general connection, I did not fail to inform Admiral Toyoda in a recent conversation of the substance of the final paragraph of your 573, September 9, 11 a.m.
Later this morning, Mr. Terasaki asked the Counselor to call again at the Foreign Office. Mr. Terasaki said that there had just been received a strictly confidential telegram from Admiral Nomura substantially as follows:
Mr. Hornbeck, who is on leave for a period of two weeks from September 20, told an Associated Press correspondent confidentially that no progress in the informal conversations between the United States and Japan was to be expected during his absence.
Mr. Terasaki said that the Minister was attending a Cabinet meeting and had not yet seen the telegram from Admiral Nomura, but that in view of the information which we had given the Foreign Office early this morning with regard to the inactivity of Admiral Nomura, he had decided on his own responsibility to communicate the substance of the telegram to us. He requested that no mention of this telegram be made to Admiral Nomura.
Mr. Terasaki added that station KGEI at San Francisco had broadcast on September 14, the statement released by the Department containing your comment on the character of the current preliminary conversations (Please see Radio Bulletin No. 219, September 13) and had continued substantially as follows:
Meanwhile, further doubt was cast upon the success of the conversations by the announcement that Mr. Hornbeck, who has been taking an important part in the conversations, has obtained two weeks leave of absence.
It appears to be obvious that Mr. Hornbeck has been misquoted and it is to be regretted that what I feel sure is a misleading impression has been conveyed through this publicity to the Japanese Government.