740.0011 Pacific War/223
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Secretary of State
Minister Butler and Minister Hall of the British Embassy called at their request. Mr. Butler handed to me the attached memorandum23 relative to a broadcast recently made by the Netherlands Minister for Foreign Affairs to the peoples of the Netherlands East Indies on May sixth, in which he referred to joint defense in that area against any Japanese attack, et cetera. He inquired what my impression was in this respect. I replied that some months ago when Japan was threatening to establish special economic domination over the Netherlands East Indies, I took definite issue with such a course and said that that policy raised the question of peace in the entire Pacific area. I then added that I never made it a practice to make a threat without being ready to back it up, and that, therefore, I would not offer a statement too challenging or too threatening, but one of such moderation, firmness and definiteness as would with thorough adequacy meet the situation.
- Infra. ↩