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

740.0011 Pacific War/1511

The Navy Department to the Department of State ³³

Washington, November 22, 1941.
[Received November 25.]

The Chief of Naval Operations has just received a communication from Ghormley³⁴ in London which in substance is as follows:

Vice Admiral Furstner, Dutch Minister of Marine in England and Commander in Chief of Dutch naval forces, asked me informally to present following to Opnav³⁵ and requests Opnav’s informal reply. Dutch Government receives reports to effect Japan is concentrating Expeditionary Force in Palau. Dutch state it difficult to confirm this info[rmation] but feel they should consider at this time what they should do in case this reported concentration leads to expedition crossing Davao-Waigeo line or equator east of that line. Dutch inclined to consider any such movement can only be regarded as direct menace to N. E. I.³⁶ and to be a non-direct [indirect?] threat to lands and interests of U. S. and Great Britain and that therefore it would have to be countered by force immediately. Before definitely making up their minds in this respect, Dutch would like to have views of Opnav. Possibility of an individual Jap commander acting against intentions of his Government should be taken into account and also that in case of such act Japanese Government has tendency to back up commander in question considering that otherwise Japanese would lose face. Information that 4,000 laborers have left Japan for Palau also received by Dutch. I (Ghormley) suggested possibility of confusing between movement of laborers with reported movements of Expeditionary Force. Biddle³⁷ requests this go to State for info.

Opnav replied to Ghormley in substance as follows:

Your despatch presents political questions upon which Opnav is not in position to advise. However, the importance of Pelews for defense of the Mandates and for offensive operations against either the Philippines or N. E. I. may be expressed as my views in the premises. I question accuracy of info concerning Expeditionary Force near the Pelews but I am aware that facilities, land and air forces in that region are in process of expansion. Commanders in Chief, Asiatic and Pacific are checking on recent Japanese movements. Further advice in premises will be sent you.

J. L. Holloway, Jr.

,
Commander, U. S. Navy,
Senior Operations Watch Officer,
Office of the Chief of Naval Operations

33. Noted by the Secretary of State.
34. Vice Adm. Robert L. Ghormley, Special Naval Observer in London.
35. Office of Naval Operations.
36. Netherlands East Indies.
37. Anthony J. Drexel Biddle, Jr., Ambassador and Minister to the Governments-in-Exile of Poland, Belgium, Norway, the Netherlands, Yugoslavia, and Czechoslovakia, established in London.