893.51/2153: Telegram

The Acting Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Japan (Morris)82

Your March 27, 4 p.m.

Please say personally to the Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs that as the result of recent informal discussions by representatives of the banking groups in London and Paris as well as those reported by Abbott from Tokyo it seems to be the unanimous opinion that an early meeting of all group representatives to discuss working details and submit tentative conclusions to their respective governments is necessary. Refer to Department’s February 21, 4 p.m., and your March 11, 6 p.m. Based on the statement contained in your February 16, midnight, as having the approval of the Minister of Finance and Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs “Four power group is to [Page 431] supervise all undertakings and a conference of representatives of groups at New York is to arrange details “this Government desired to know if May 15th would be convenient date for the Japanese representatives to attend such meeting. The question is being taken up also with the other interested Governments.

In the meantime the Department is officially advised that the British Government has definitely decided to authorize British banking group to enter international consortium under conditions suggested by the United States Government.

Phillips
  1. Repeated to the Ambassador in Great Britain, on the same date, for similar action, in telegram No. 4984, which the Ambassador was instructed to repeat to Paris. Ambassador in Japan instructed in telegram of Mar. 31, 2 p.m., to repeat to Peking for information.