393.115/1161
Memorandum by the Secretary of State
The Japanese Ambassador called at my request. After thanking him I handed him a statement of instances of mistreatment of Americans [Page 908] and injury to American rights in places of Japanese jurisdiction, a copy of which instrument is herewith attached.88
The Ambassador read it with some care and I then proceeded to comment by saying that, of course, the Government of Japan could permit this kind of misconduct and mistreatment in all sorts of petty ways but that I could not possibly fathom the view or purpose prompting such course. Therefore, I had felt that a summing up should be presented to the Government of Japan. The Ambassador agreed entirely with my views and said he would be quite glad to take the matter up with his Government.
I then said to the Ambassador that there may be some others that I might have assembled by Saturday89 or Sunday and that I was desirous of knowing whether he would be here. He stated that he would be in Washington this coming Saturday and Sunday. I again repeated that I would probably want to see him.
I also brought up with the Ambassador the substance of the accompanying memorandum90 relative to the alleged promise of the Japanese Government not to bomb Chungking after the bombing of the Tutuila. I brought out each point in the accompanying memorandum. The Ambassador very promptly replied that his Government only promised him to cease bombing the city area temporarily and not indefinitely, and that he thought he got that fact over to Mr. Welles but that he might have failed in his efforts to do so. At any rate he stood definitely on that contention and said that was the situation.