[Secret]
From: Rome
To: Tokyo
3 December 1941
(Purple—CA)
#985
Re
your message #985* to Berlin.
On
this day, at 11 o'clock in the morning, I, accompanied by Ando, called on
Premier Mussolini, (Foreign Minister Ciano was also present). I described the developments
in the Japanese-U. S. negotiations in accordance with the contents of your
message #986** to Berlin.
Mussolini:
"I have been carefully watching the progress of the Japanese-U. S. talks
from the very beginning and therefore am not at all surprised to receive your
report. As a matter of fact, in view of the utter bull-headedness of the United
States and the meddlesome nature of President Roosevelt, I should say that the
outcome was nothing but what should have been expected. One of the aims of the
United States is to make the Far East her own, from an economic standpoint. I
have felt from the beginning that if it was the intention of the United States
to separate Japan from the Axis first and then intervene in Europe, the United
States was doomed to fail because of Japan's loyal and sincere nature.
"As
Your Excellency and Your Excellency's predecessor know, I wholeheartedly
endorse Japan's policy of creating a New Order in East Asia. This has been true
in the past, is true now and will be so in the future. I am one who is firmly
convinced that Japan has every right to be the leader of the Great East Asia
area."
I
continued by relating to him the contents of your message referred to in the
heading, (with regard to paragraph 3 of that message, said that I had been
advised that some arrangements were being made between our Ambassador in Berlin
and Ribbentrop).
With
regard to paragraph 2, Mussolini said that should war break out, Italy would
give every military aid she had at her disposal, i.e., that she would make
every effort to keep the British navy checked in the Mediterranean.
Mussolini:
"Recently, the formation of an Italian-German air force bloc was discussed
so as to afford closer cooperation between the two to apply further pressure on
the British in the Mediterranean. The negotiations on this proposal have
progressed to a point where it may be signed any day now."
Regarding
paragraph 2 again, should Japan declare war on the United States and Great
Britain, I asked, would Italy do likewise immediately? Mussolini replied:
"Of course. She is obligated to do so under the terms of the Tripartite
Pact. Since Germany would also be obliged to follow suit, we would like to
confer with Germany on this point."
With
reference to paragraph 3, I submitted the French text of your message #987***,
as one proposal, and asked him whether he preferred it to be separately or
jointly. He replied that as long as it was done simultaneously with Germany it
did not make much difference to him, but if it were done jointly he thought it
would give the impression of more strength. He said he would confer with
Ambassador MAKKENZEN.
Mussolini
failed to bring up the subject of Soviet Russia, so the matter was not brought
up at all.
In
the first part of this message, please correct "N-NEEN WA" to
"KINKENSHA WA".
25833
JD-1: (D) Navy Trans. 12-6-41 (W-TT)
*JD-1: 6943 (S.I.S. #25552-53).
**JD-1: 6944 (S.I.S. #25554-55).
***Not available.
(EXHIBITS OF JOINT COMMITTEE , EXHIBIT NO. 1 INTERCEPTED DIPLOMATIC MESSAGES SENT BY THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT BETWEEN JULY l AND DECEMBER 8, 1941)