711.94115 Exchange/10–2444: Telegram

The Acting Secretary of State to the Minister in Switzerland ( Harrison )

3752. Expatriation—Far East—American Interests. In light of information provided in your 7047, October 24, midnight, Department suggests that Gorgé might find it practicable to revive with Japanese Foreign Office discussion of project outlined in Department’s 1072, March 30, which in many ways meets the requirements of the situation, aside from the minor question of the flag on the vessel to be provided which can be easily solved. The proposed scheme might be effected at any number of points on the Soviet Pacific coast or perhaps elsewhere if desired. There is furthermore no reason why this scheme might not also be used for the effectuation of Anglo-Japanese exchanges. If the Japanese Government is willing to discuss exchanges concretely, Gorgé may be assured that the United States Government will take every practicable step to meet its suggestions. The Department feels that the suggestions so far made to the Japanese offer such a wide choice that some combination of them must be acceptable to the Japanese Government.

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The Department must rely upon the ingenuity of Gorgé to pursue these conversations with a view to determining some practicable means of arriving at a working arrangement. In particular if Gorgé could elicit from the Japanese at this time a statement of their practical objections if any to the scheme in Department’s 1072 which very closely parallels his suggestions in your 7047, a very definite advance in the negotiations will have been made.

Department awaits with interest Gorgé’s further reports on this subject.

Stettinius