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

740.0011 European War 1939/10945: Telegram

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

Tokyo, May 15, 1941—6 p.m.
[Received May 15—9:40 a.m.]

681. Embassy’s 673, May 14, 5 p.m.,⁹⁰ paragraph numbered 2.

1. In discussing yesterday with my British colleague operation of article 3 of the Tripartite Pact, the Minister for Foreign Affairs expressed the personal opinion that Japan could consider herself entirely absolved from responsibility for the implementation of that article only in the event of an actual German attack on American territory. The foregoing opinion was, however, subject to the Minister’s overriding reservation that he was not at the moment conveying the settled policy of the Japanese Government on that subject.

2. A more extensive report of yesterday’s conversation between the British Ambassador and the Minister for Foreign Affairs is being telegraphed via Shanghai in Embassy’s 680, May 15, 5 p.m.⁹¹

Grew

90. Foreign Relations, Japan, 1931–1941, Vol. ii, p. 145.
91. Not printed.