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

811.711/1649: Telegram

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

Tokyo, November 21, 1941—8 p.m.
[Received November 21—6:57 a.m.]

1831. Department’s 718, November 5, 11 p.m.⁸⁰

1. Tokyo Asahi this morning reported that the director of the American Bureau of the Foreign Office,⁸¹ replying on November 20 to an interpellation in a committee of the Lower House, stated that the action of the American authorities in withholding mail from the Tatsuta Maru was an “extremely unfriendly act and contravened the understanding which was reached with regard to the sending of the vessel”.

2. At my direction the Counselor⁸² called this afternoon on Mr. Yamamoto and inquired whether the Asahi story were correct. Mr. Yamamoto replied that he had submitted to the committee a written reply to a heated interpellation criticizing the Japanese Government for failing to protest to the American Government with regard to the incident; that the story omitted his account of the satisfactory action of the American Government in sending forward the mail on subsequent vessels; but that he had in fact used the words as above quoted. He was informed that the Japanese oral statement delivered to the Department on October 7⁸³ made no mention of the carrying of mails and that that fact was admitted on November 4 by the Counselor of the Japanese Embassy in Washington. When informed that I desired that a statement be issued by the Foreign Office which would in effect retract the statement above quoted, Mr. Yamamoto said that no correction of his official reply could be made as the Diet had adjourned and he expressed unwillingness to have any correction released by the Foreign Office. He said that he would however be prepared to write me a letter of explanation.

3. As it is unlikely that any Japanese newspaper would be prepared to publish any statement from the Embassy controverting the reply to the interpellation made by Mr. Yamamoto, I recommend that I be authorized to address to the Minister for Foreign Affairs⁸⁴ a formal note taking strong exception to the objectionable statements of Mr. Yamamoto.⁸⁵

Grew

80. Not printed.
81. Kumaichi Yamamoto.
82. Eugene H. Dooman.
83. Not printed, but for Department’s reply, see note to the Japanese Embassy, October 8, vol. v, p. 432.
84. Shigenori Togo.
85. The Ambassador was authorized on December 1 by the Secretary of State to address a note to the Minister for Foreign Affairs along the lines recommended.