[Secret]
From: Washington (Nomura)
To: Tokyo
November 20, 1941
Purple (Extremely Urgent)
#1144
At
noon on the 20th I, accompanied by Ambassador KURUSU, called on Secretary HULL
at the State Department and we talked for an hour and a half. Today we went
into a somewhat lengthy explanation of the various subjects taken up in the
instructions in your message #798 [a]. On everything else HULL expressed no
noteworthy differences of opinion, however, when we came to the part about the
United States doing nothing to obstruct our efforts for a comprehensive peace
with China, he showed that he was terribly aroused. He said, "So long as
it is not made clear that Japan is turning toward a peaceful policy it will be
impossible to stop aiding CHIANG just like it will also be impossible to cut
off assistance from Great Britain," or words to that effect. He said that
in any case, after particular study, he would have some views to express.
Army 25137 Trans. 11/22/41 (2)[a] See S.I.S. #25040. Tokyo says that no further concessions can be made other than the "B" Proposal and if the United States' consent to this cannot be scoured negotiations will have to be broken off.
(EXHIBITS OF JOINT COMMITTEE , EXHIBIT NO. 1 INTERCEPTED DIPLOMATIC MESSAGES SENT BY THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT BETWEEN JULY l AND DECEMBER 8, 1941)