393.115/1152a: Telegram

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

500. 1. I asked the Japanese Ambassador to call August 13 and handed him a statement with title “Recent Cases of Interference with American Eights and Interests in Japan and in Japanese-Occupied Areas of China” as follows:

[Here follows text printed in Foreign Relations, Japan, 1931–1941, volume I, page 908.]

2. Upon handing Admiral Nomura the above statement I made comment to him substantially as follows:16

It has been our hope, based in part upon reported statements by Japanese officials, that treatment of American citizens under Japanese freezing control would be pari passu with treatment accorded Japanese subjects in this country, that the recent serious expansion of interference with American rights and interests undertaken by Japanese authorities in Japan and such authorities and their instrumentalities in occupied China would gradually subside. We have expected that when the various Japanese and Japanese-sponsored authorities should come to realize that Japanese officials and subjects [Page 791] in this country were continuing to enjoy courteous and generous treatment and freedom of movement, those authorities would take steps to cease activities directed against American interests which do not have direct relation to freezing control as such. Our hopes have in no way been fulfilled. Surely the Japanese Government cannot expect that, in the face of the numerous and serious complaints of activities of the Japanese authorities and Japanese-sponsored authorities, not only in the Japanese-controlled areas outside of Japan but in Japan itself, against our officials and citizens, this Government will be able to continue to maintain over an extended period the attitude of liberality and forebearance which we have thus far consistently maintained in our treatment of Japanese, both officials and civilians, and their activities in this country. We should like to have, and we request, a statement at an early moment of the attitude and intention of the Japanese Government in relation to these and related matters.

3. I desire that you seek an early opportunity to take up this urgent matter with the Japanese Foreign Minister17 along lines similar to those of my action vis-à-vis the Japanese Ambassador described above.

Hull
  1. For memorandum of conversation on August 13, see Foreign Relations, Japan, 1931–1941, Vol. i, p. 907.
  2. Adm. Teijiro Toyoda.