88
793.94/9278
The Ambassador in Japan (Grew)
to the Secretary of State
[Telegram: Paraphrase]
TOKYO, August 10, 1937—7 p.m.
[Received August 10—2:20 p.m.]
254. Department's 140, August 7, 3 p.m. [34a]
Today affirmative instructions were received by the British Chargé.
This afternoon I called upon the Foreign
Minister at his home and presented confidentially and informally the United
States Government's offer of good offices along the lines of the two points set
out in the Department's telegram No. 138 of August 8. [35]
The offer was received by the Foreign
Minister in entire friendliness. However, he said that there had already been
made an opening for negotiations in the conversation at Shanghai yesterday
between Ambassador Kawagoe and Kao, Chief of the-Asiatic Bureau of the f
Chinese Foreign Office. The plan of the Japanese for an understanding between
China and Japan was presented to Kao and immediately the latter left for
Nanking in order to communicate the plan to Chiang Kai-shek. The Foreign
Minister said that the complete details of the conversation at Shanghai had not
reached him but that war might be avoided if Chiang Kai-shek would reply with
some plan (obviously a counter-proposal) which could serve as a basis for
negotiations. However, the situation was characterized by the Foreign Minister
as critical and he indicated that general hostilities could be prevented only
by a favorable and early reply from Chiang Kai-shek.
Foreign Minister Hirota then remarked that if
the United States wanted to be helpful the most effective thing it could do
would be to persuade Chiang Kai-shek to take prompt action as contemplated in
the preceding sentence.
[34a] Not printed.
[35] "The two points
set out in telegram 138 were the providing of a neutral place for Japanese and
Chinese negotiators and assistance in smoothing out difficulties which might
arise in negotiations.
374
DOCUMENTS
Apparently Hirota was reluctant to reveal the plan proposed by
Kawagoe even in its general nature except that it included conditions for
"good relations" with Manchuria and for the elimination of all
anti-Japanese activities in China.
I was requested by the Foreign Minister to
consider the fact that an opening for negotiations had been made as strictly
confidential. He declared that the press has no information about the nature of
the conversation between Kawagoe and Kao.
The British Chargé expects to see the Foreign
Minister tomorrow and to take similar action.
The Foreign Minister said that matters had
been worsened by the murder recently of a Japanese naval officer in Shanghai.
The Japanese navy is observing self-restraint, although it is very angry, in
order that the situation in Shanghai be not inflamed.
GREW