Foreign Relations: U. S. - Japan
BRITISH EMBASSY,
WASHINGTON, 0* C*
Kovember 2Gtu, 1939
Ho. ISIS
ay Lord,
At his press conference on the 17th
Sovemfeea* the Acting Secretary of State, Mr. Sumner
Welles, made whet has been reported at a reaffirmation
of American sights in China*   His remarks are said to
have been by way of a rejoinder to the statement
attributed to Mr»   Yakichlro Suraa, Japanese Foreign
Office spokesman at Shanghai the previous day, that
the United States Government In official communications
to Tokyo had admitted that America was not blind to
new realities In Bast Asia*   Mr* Welles appeals to have
pointed out that the position of the United States In
regard to developments in Bast Asia varies in no way
today from that enunciated in successive communications
to the Japanese Government, notably of the 29th April,
1934, the 6th Oetober 1958 and the 31st December 1936
(see my predecessor's despatches respectively Wos# 565
of the 11th May 1934, 950 of the 31st October 1938, and
6 of the 3rd January 1939).   Mr* Welles* reaffirmation,
while held to imply no Interference with the discussions
whieh Mr* Grew has been conducting at Tofeyo, is inter*
preted however as signifying that the United States
Government does not contemplate any surrender to the
Japanese at a time when Great Britain may be preparing
the way for a partial retreat from her own position in
China*
The Right Honourable
The Viscount Halifax, I
. &*,
ete
etc
3
China,   oa the other hand there la no disposition
to believe either that, with Great Britain involved
in war in Europe, the United States contemplate the
avowed protection of British Interests in the Far
Sast except to the extent that the maintenance of
her own position thereof and Mr. Hall's statement to
the Japanese AmbassgRtbr that If Japan*e "friendly
advice" to ?ranee and Great Britain to withdraw
from Eastern Asia were accepted or enforced, it
would produce great difflenities for Japanese-*
American relations, is of obvious advantage to
ourselves*   Nor is there any disposition to believe
that President Roosevelt will follow the lead of
Senator Key Pittraan (see Mr. Mellette despatch Ho* 29
of the 10th January last) and invite Congress to
vote an economic embargo against Japan if relations
are still unsatisfactory next January when the now
denounced United States-Japanese commercial treaty of
1911 expires, though he might impose the 10$ surtax
against Japanese goods, similar to that already
imposed against German goods, on the ground that it
was discriminating in Manchuria and elsewhere against
American trade*
S* I am sending copies of this despatch to His
Majesty's embassadors at Teklo and Shanghai and to
the High Commissioner for the United Kingdom in Ottawa*
I have the honour to be,
with the highest respect,
tty Lord,
Your Lordship's most obedient,
humble servant,