740.00116 Pacific War/85

The Assistant Secretary of State (Long) to the Apostolic Delegate (Cicognani)

My Dear Archbishop Cicognani: I have received your letter of February 15, 1944 conveying the assurances of the Special Envoy of the Japanese Government to the Holy See that Japanese forces in China have never used poison gas and that Japan would continue to refrain from the use of poison gas provided the same principle is followed by the United States. It is stated that the Special Envoy of the Japanese Government requested that these assurances be brought to the attention of the United States Government.

The information which you have given me has been made known to the appropriate United States authorities. The attitude of the United States Government with respect to the use of gas warfare was fully and clearly enunciated by the President in his statement of June 8, 1943,44 a copy of which I am enclosing for your convenience.

Sincerely yours,

Breckinridge Long