740.0011 Pacific War/556: Telegram
The Ambassador in Japan ( Grew ) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 8—8:54 a.m.]
1587. Department’s 633, October 2, 9 p.m., 638, October 4, 11 [6] p.m. and 642, October 7, 2 p.m. Yesterday I spoke to the Foreign Minister about the situation in Indochina and pointed out that the Japanese military are taking measures which give indication of their intention to exert complete control over that country in derogation of French sovereignty. I mentioned several of these measures and said that the implications flowing therefrom were causing the American Government great anxiety in connection with the assurance received from the Japanese Government with regard to its intentions in the Pacific area. The Minister listened carefully, but made no observations.
Under today’s date I have addressed a note to the Foreign Minister along the lines suggested in the Department’s 633, appending thereto a brief statement of recent actions and instances of behavior by the Japanese forces in Indochina.
In addition, a third person note has today been addressed to the Foreign Office in regard to the properties of the American oil companies, along the lines suggested in the Department’s 638.