[Secret]
From: Washington
To: Tokyo
1 December 1941
(Purple)
#1226
Re
my #1222*
Following
up the reporting of Premier Tojo's speech, the press here carried reports of
the speech delivered by Vice President Ando of the Imperial Rules Assistance Association,
on the 30th. Special attention was paid in these dispatches to those parts of
the speech in which the Vice President advocated the reinvigorating of the
alliance ties with Germany and Italy, and where he pointed out the United
States as being the biggest obstacle to the establishment of the Far Eastern
Co-Prosperity Sphere.
This
report together with the report of President Roosevelt's sudden decision to
return immediately to Washington and the disclosure of Hull's conferences with
the British Ambassador on the 29th and the 30th is attracting considerable
attention of the general public.
The
general tone of these reports is that Roosevelt decided to cut his vacation
short and rush back to Washington because Hull advised him by telephone that
Premier Tojo had made an unusually strong speech, and relayed to him that a Far
Eastern crisis may be at hand. Within governmental circles, although decisive
comments were withheld, the general opinion seems to be that Tojo's speech
indicates the refusal of the Japanese Government to accept the proposals
submitted to it by the United States on the 26th. These circles also seem to
feel that the speech indicated Japan's decision to give up hope for the talks
and to resort to stronger measures.
The
press on the 1st carried a U. P. dispatch from Tokyo reporting that though
Japan was not satisfied with the United States' reply, Japan is desirous of
having the discussions continue for at least two more weeks. In view of the
reports of the Premier's speech, this report has an ominous tone about it.
Some
of the newspapers comment that since Japan's invasion of Thai has already been
definitely mapped out, the above is merely a means of stalling for time so as
to give the Japanese a chance to seize the most opportune moment with respect
to developments in Europe, to launch this attack.
25726
JD-1: 7054 (D) Navy Trans. 12-4-41 (1)
*Not available.
(EXHIBITS
OF JOINT COMMITTEE , EXHIBIT NO. 1 INTERCEPTED DIPLOMATIC MESSAGES SENT BY THE
JAPANESE GOVERNMENT BETWEEN JULY l AND DECEMBER 8, 1941)