[Secret]
From: Tokyo (Toyoda)
To: Washington
October 16, 1941
Purple (CA)
#671
Although
I have been requested by both the German and Italian Ambassadors in Tokyo to
give them confidential information on the Japanese-American negotiations, I
have, in consideration of the nature of the negotiations, been declining to do
so. However, early this month, following the German attacks on American
merchant ships and the consequent (revival?) of the movement for the revision
of the Neutrality Act, the German authorities demanded that the Japanese
Government submit to the American Government a message to the effect that the
Japanese Government observes that if the ROOSEVELT Administration continues to
attack the Axis Powers increasingly, a belligerent situation would inevitably
arise between Germany and Italy on the one hand and the United States on the
other, and this would provide the reasons for the convocation of the duties
envisioned in the Three Power agreement and might lead Japan to join
immediately the war in opposition to the United States. We have not, as yet, submitted
this message because, in view of the Japanese-American negotiations, we found
it necessary to consider carefully the proper timing as well as wording of the
message. The German authorities have been repeatedly making the same request
and there are reasons which do not permit this matter to be postponed any
longer. While Japan on the one hand finds it necessary to do something in the
way of carrying out the duties placed upon her by the Three Power Alliance she
had concluded with Germany, on the other hand, she is desirous of making a
success of the Japanese-American negotiations. Under the circumstances, we can
do no other than to warn the United States at an appropriate moment in such
words as are given in my separate telegram #672 [a] and as would not affect the
Japanese-American negotiations in one way or another. This message is a secret
between me and you.
Army 23631 Trans. 10/17/41 (7)
[a] See S.I.S. #23571—English text of a message from the Imperial Japanese Government to the American Government.
(EXHIBITS OF JOINT COMMITTEE , EXHIBIT NO. 1 INTERCEPTED DIPLOMATIC MESSAGES SENT BY THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT BETWEEN JULY l AND DECEMBER 8, 1941)