Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1942, General; the British Commonwealth; the Far East, Volume I

740.0011 Pacific War/1917

The Assistant Chief of Staff (Gerow) to the Adjutant General (Adams)⁴²

[Washington,] February 11, 1942.

The Secretary of War directs that a secret message, as follows, be sent by the most expeditious means possible consistent with secrecy to the Commanding General, U.S. Forces in the Far East:

From the President to General MacArthur. Transmit the following message from me to President Quezon:

“Your message of February tenth evidently crossed mine to you of February ninth. Under our constitutional authority the President of the United States is not empowered to cede or alienate any territory to another nation. Furthermore, the United States has just bound itself in agreement with twenty-five other nations⁴³ to united action in dealing with the Axis Powers and has specifically engaged itself not to enter into any negotiations for a separate peace.

You have no authority to communicate with the Japanese Government without the express permission of the United States Government.

I will make no further comments regarding your last message dated February tenth pending your acknowledgement of mine to you of February ninth through General MacArthur.[”]

Franklin D. Roosevelt

L. T. Gerow

,
Brigadier General

42. Copy received in the Department about February 16.
43. See Declaration by United Nations, January 1, 1942, p. 25.