711.94/2463b: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in China (Gauss)
273. For the Ambassador only. I asked the Chinese Ambassador to call on November 18 and informed him that I had had a long conference with the two ranking Japanese representatives in regard to the question of the proposed settlement for the Pacific area. I added that nothing was agreed upon although we had discussed two opposing policies—conquest by force and peace, law and order. I told the Ambassador that I had informed the Japanese that we would be glad to consider whatever the Japanese Government cared to present providing it appeared feasible and that should whatever the Japanese Government had to say be considered feasible we would then confer with the Chinese, the Australians, the British and the Dutch on such phases of the matter as would be of interest to those countries. I told the Ambassador that I had emphasized to the Japanese that while I could appreciate Japan’s need for time to educate its public opinion it would be impossible for us to make substantial progress in any discussion until Japan decided to follow peaceful courses rather than courses of force and conquest.