894.607 South Seas/1: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Consul at Manila (Hickok)
238. For the High Commissioner.40 Reference Tokyo’s 803, June 11, 11 a.m.,41 which is being repeated to you.
[Page 177]Unless you perceive objection the Department desires that you acquaint the Commonwealth Government with the contents of Tokyo’s telegram under reference in such manner as you may deem appropriate and state that this Government feels that participation by the Commonwealth Government or any of its agencies in the proposed exhibition would not be desirable. You may wish in your discretion to point out that the announced objective of the sponsors of the exhibition is the promotion of Japan’s so-called co-prosperity sphere program, a scheme which appears to envisage the placing of areas in the southern Pacific, including the Philippine Commonwealth, under Japanese economic and political hegemony; that participation by the Commonwealth in exhibitions of this kind would only serve to further such a scheme and would not therefore be in the best interests of the Commonwealth. Please inform the Department of action taken.