26

711.94/908

Informal and Personal Message From,
the Secretary of State To the Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs (Hirota)18

TO HIS EXCELLENCY
    THE MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF JAPAN.

Mr. Saito, the new Ambassador of Japan to the United States, has delivered to me the personal and informal message which you have been so good as to send me.

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The cordial sentiments which you express in this message I highly appreciate and reciprocate.

I have not failed to note, with gratification, Your Excellency's effort to foster friendly relations with other powers. In all such effort I am sure that you realize that you may rely upon me for the fullest possible measure of cooperation.

You express the opinion that viewed in the light of the broad aspects of the situation and studied from all possible angles no question exists between our two countries that is fundamentally incapable of amicable solution. I fully concur with you in that opinion. Further, I believe that there are in fact no questions between our two countries which if they be viewed in proper perspective in both countries can with any warrant be regarded as not readily susceptible to adjustment by pacific processes. It is the fixed intention of the American Government to rely, in prosecution of its national policies, upon such processes. If unhappily there should arise in the future any controversy between our two countries, the American Government will be prepared, as I believe it always has been in the past, to examine the position of Japan in a spirit of amity and of desire for peaceful and just settlement, with the confident expectation that the Japanese Government will be prepared to examine the position of the United States in the same spirit.

You refer to the gratifying fact that in the field of trade the interests of our two countries are not in conflict and commercial ties are being constantly strengthened. I perceive every reason to anticipate that the United States and Japan will continue to develop their reciprocal trade with benefit to both countries and, where there may be competition, with constant reciprocal good will.

You state emphatically that Japan has no intention whatever to provoke and make trouble with any other power. I receive this statement with special gratification and I am glad to take this opportunity to state categorically that the United States on its part has no desire to create any issues and no intention to initiate any conflict in its relations with other countries.

In the light of these facts I feel that I should also avail myself of this opportunity to express my earnest hope that it may be possible for all of the countries which have interests in the Far East to approach every question existing or which may arise between or among them in such spirit and manner that these questions may be regulated or resolved with injury to none and with definite and lasting advantage to all.

I shall of course be glad to receive through the Ambassador of Japan

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to the United States or the Ambassador of the United States to Japan any suggestions calculated to maintain and to increase that friendliness and cordiality which have constantly marked since the conclusion of our first treaty the relations between our two countries. You may count upon my earnest desire to favor any measure or steps which may be practicable toward this end and toward fostering at the same time relations of peace, good will and general benefit among all members of the Family of Nations.

CORDELL HULL

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Footnotes

18. Handed to the Japanese Ambassador by the Secretary of State, March 3, 1934, 12:30 p. m.


Transcribed and formatted for HTML by Patrick Clancey, HyperWar Foundation