740.0011 P. W./228: Telegram
The Ambassador in Japan (Grew) to the Secretary of State
[Received June 16—8:35 a.m.]
825. Following is paraphrase of telegram sent by my British colleague to his Government on June 11.
[Here follows paraphrase of telegram in which the British Ambassador in Japan requested the British Government for authorization to make an oral statement to the Japanese Government intimating that a Japanese attack on the Netherlands East Indies must necessarily involve the United Kingdom as the ally of the Netherlands.]
6. In this general connection, I suggest that the Department review this Embassy’s 802, June 10, 8 p.m.38 I observed therein that I could not with any assurance appraise the dangers at this time of the Japanese moving against the Netherlands East Indies; and I do not now feel that I can definitely recommend that I be instructed to take action paralleling the action envisaged by my British colleague. However, in case Sir Robert Craigie should be authorized to act in accordance with his own proposal, I believe that an oral statement by me to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, either as under instructions or as on my own initiative, substantially along the lines of paragraph numbered 2 of Embassy’s 230, February 14, 8 p.m.39 and including the Netherlands East Indies within scope of such statement, having in mind the potential threat to Britain’s life lines which would be involved in an attack on those islands, might prove helpful to the Cabinet in its; reported efforts to avoid the use of force in connection with Japan’s relations with the Netherlands East Indies.