Foreign Relations of the United States Diplomatic Papers, 1941, The Far East, Volume IV

711.94/2313: Telegram

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

Tokyo, September 25, 1941—7 p.m.
[Received September 25—1:25 p.m.]

1511. For the Secretary and Under Secretary only.

1. The Director of the American Bureau called on me this afternoon at his request and made to me an oral statement substantially as follows:

The Minister for Foreign Affairs had repeatedly informed me in detail that the present state of mind of the Japanese Government is that it is momentarily awaiting a reply from the American Government with regard to the proposal for a meeting of the heads of government. As time presses, Mr. Terasaki had called on me without waiting to receive the express authorization of the Foreign Minister, who was absent from the Foreign Office. The purpose of his visit was, first, to inquire whether I had received from my Government any information with regard to the proposal above mentioned, and, second, to hand me a document. That document is responsive so far as possible to the formulae and the substance of the American draft statement of June 21 and is at the same time explanatory of the proposal handed to me on September 4 by the Foreign Minister.⁷⁰ It contained no new proposal whatever. It was prepared largely for purpose of ready reference, as it would enable us to find in one document a presentation of the position which the Japanese Government was prepared to take, as set forth in Admiral Toyoda’s proposal of September 4 and in the various explanatory statements made by him. It is not to be regarded as a formal instrument such as a treaty; its text is to be considered “entirely flexible” and subject to revision as the American Government may propose; but the Japanese Government will not be agreeable to any modification of its substance.

2. I asked Mr. Terasaki whether the document, which he then handed me, had received the approval of the Japanese Government. He replied in the affirmative.

3. The text of the document is set forth as indicated in my following telegram No. 1512, September 25, 8 p.m.⁷¹

4. In response to Mr. Terasaki’s inquiry whether I had received any information from my Government, I read to him the substance of the last paragraph of your 607, September 23, 6 p.m.

Grew

70. For text, see Foreign Relations, Japan, 1931–1941, vol. ii, p. 597.
71. Not printed; for text of document, see Foreign Relations, Japan, 1931–1941, vol. ii, p. 637.