[Secret]
From: Washington (Nomura)
To: Tokyo
October 10, 1941
Purple (CA)
#923
I
have read your #650 [a].
What
they want is the maintenance of peace in the Pacific and they claim that our policy
is semi-pacific and semi-aggressive. They say that our proposal of September 6
diverged greatly from preceding statements, and that it will be out of the
question to agree on any preparatory talks on the basis of such a proposal. In
addition to the three matters mentioned in your message, it seems that there
are many other objections. I have repeatedly asked them to clarify what I do
not understand, but they won't answer. At any rate, however, I feel safe at
least in saying that they are demanding that we compromise in accordance with
the lines laid down in their memorandum of October 2. I am sure that there is
not the slightest chance on earth of them featuring a conference of leaders so
long as we do not make that compromise.
In
other words, they are not budging an inch from the attitude they have always
taken; however, they act as if they were ready to consider any time any plan of
ours which would meet the specifications of their answer of the 2nd.
I
think that you fully realize the situation I described in my #917 [a]
yesterday. However I am sending you this for your information.
Army 23355. Trans 10/11/41 (7)
[a] Not available.
(EXHIBITS OF JOINT COMMITTEE , EXHIBIT NO. 1 INTERCEPTED DIPLOMATIC MESSAGES SENT BY THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT BETWEEN JULY l AND DECEMBER 8, 1941)