Office of the Historian

811B.01/486: Circular telegram

The Secretary of State to Certain Diplomatic Officers 17

Washington, October 18, 1943—9 p.m.

In connection with the action of the Japanese Government in establishing a puppet government in the Philippines on October 14 and in [Page 1106] announcing that it had entered into a political, economic and military alliance with the alleged new régime, the following is for your information and use as indicated:

The action of the Japanese Government in causing to be set up an illegitimate government in the Philippines in no way whatsoever alters the happy and mutually helpful relations subsisting between the Government of the United States and the legitimate Commonwealth Government of the Philippines nor does it in any way impair the sovereign rights of the United States in the Islands. The government of the United States acknowledges its obligation to drive the enemy from the Philippines and to that end it resolutely devotes itself. It is expected that only governments allied with the Axis cause will recognize the alleged new regime or have any relations with it even of an informal character. The Japanese action is in utter disregard of the welfare and happiness of the Filipino people and without either their legal or moral sanction. Their primary, and perhaps sole, objective is to use the Philippines and their resources for military purposes.

You may orally and informally bring to the attention of the appropriate authorities of the government to which you are accredited the substance of this message. Please also promptly report any developments which you believe would be of interest to the Department.

Hull

[On October 22 a public statement was released by President Roosevelt regarding the puppet government in the Philippines; for text, see Department of State Bulletin, October 23, 1943, page 274.]

  1. In Afghanistan, Argentina, Ireland, Liberia, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and Turkey. The Legation in Switzerland was requested to repeat the message to Harold H. Tittmann, Jr., Assistant to Myron C. Taylor, President Roosevelt’s Personal Representative to Pope Pius XII.↩