[Secret]
From: Tokyo
To: Washington
November 24, 1941
Purple (Very Urgent)
#822. Secret outside the department.
Re
my #821. [a]
On
the 23d I asked the American Ambassador in Tokyo to visit me and added the
following to what I had told him in my caption telegram: The movement of
Japanese troops from southern French Indo-China to the north is very important
from a military standpoint. The occupation of northern French Indo-China is
related to the basic settlement of the China incident, whereas the occupation
of the southern portion was related to the freezing of funds by England and
America. At the present time a total withdrawal of troops is utterly impossible
and when the American President, acting as a spokesman for CHIANG KAI-SHEK,
brings a proposal of peace to Japan in the China question, if Japan accepts
this and enters into negotiations, it is only proper that we demand that
America should not interfere with our efforts for peace. The above solution is
not only the best, but the only way. Until this point is made clear, it is
absolutely incompatible with the sentiment of the Japanese people to settle the
Japan-American negotiations and it is impossible for us to understand why
America does not agree to this. I have been making the greatest efforts for our
new proposal from the standpoint of cooperation with the American peace policy
and have tried to cut down our stipulations, making them clear and concise.
When these negotiations are established, we intend to pursue an increasingly
peaceful policy on this basis. After I had told him this, the Ambassador left
at once to cable the gist to his home office.
Army 25177 Trans. 11-24-41 (S)
*S.I.S. #25176.
(EXHIBITS OF JOINT COMMITTEE , EXHIBIT NO. 1 INTERCEPTED DIPLOMATIC MESSAGES SENT BY THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT BETWEEN JULY l AND DECEMBER 8, 1941)