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

756D.94/161: Telegram

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

Tokyo, June 10, 1941—10 p.m. [a.m.]
[Received June 10—1 p.m.]

797. Last week the Minister for Foreign Affairs called in the British Ambassador and speaking very frankly said that the Batavia negotiations were making no progress and that in the opinion of the Japanese this was due to British intrigue. The Minister urged the Ambassador to intervene with the British Government to the end that it counsel the Netherlands Government to adopt a more reasonable attitude in the negotiations. Denying that the British Government was in any way influencing the course of the Batavia negotiations, the British Ambassador nevertheless consented to cable London for instructions based upon the Minister’s request. Such instructions were received and stated in effect that the Minister’s request should be addressed to the Netherlands Government.

A deal [despatch?]³⁶ will provide the background for the references made in the first paragraph of the telegram immediately following.³⁷

Sent to the Department, code text by airmail to Shanghai.

Grew

36. Despatch No. 5653, June 11, not printed.
37. Telegram No. 798, June 10, 11 a.m. (756D.94/162); the first paragraph had reference to the unfavorable attitude of the Netherlands East Indies Government with respect to the Japanese proposal for British mediation; see footnote 11, p. 157.