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

740.0011 Pacific War/1181

The Netherland Minister ( Loudon ) to the Under Secretary of State ( Welles )

Washington , December 8, 1941.

My Dear Mr. Welles: Late yesterday afternoon I had the pleasure to inform you orally during our conversation that the Netherlands Government would declare itself at war with Japan.

This has since been confirmed by a telephone message which I received last night at 8:30 p.m. from H. M.’s Government in London and which reads as follows:

“The Netherlands Minister at Tokio¹³ has been instructed to inform the Japanese Government that whereas Japan has opened hostilities against two powers with which the Netherlands entertains most friendly relations, the Netherlands Government therefore considers herself also at war with Japan.”

Believe me [etc.]

A. Loudon

13. Gen. J. C. Pabst.