[Secret]
 
From: Tokyo
To: Vichy
November 12, 1941
Purple
#528
 

In the face of the ever-straining international situation, the army is endeavoring to perfect as quickly as possible military facilities in French Indo-China. As a result, they now face a great need of making certain preparations in North Indo-China which would be in violation of the NISIHARA-MARUTAN agreement, especially the clause which forbids occupation by the army of the area south of the river Auju [a]. The French Indo-China authorities, I understand, claiming that they could not permit the Japanese Army to make such preparations because they consider the restrictions stipulated in the agreement still valid, refuse absolutely to recognize the demands of the Japanese Army. However, at the time the treaty for the joint defense was concluded, in anticipation of just such a case as this, we saw to it that a clause was inserted to the effect that the treaty includes cancellation of the restrictions stipulated in the NISIHARA-MARUTAN agreement. Therefore, urge them to issue at once definite instructions to the French Indo-China authorities to withdraw their claim and then wire me the results.

 
Army 24915                                          Trans. 11/18/41 (NR)
 
[a] Kana spelling.

 

(EXHIBITS OF JOINT COMMITTEE , EXHIBIT NO. 1 INTERCEPTED DIPLOMATIC MESSAGES SENT BY THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT BETWEEN JULY l AND DECEMBER 8, 1941)