793.94/3488
The British Embassy to the Department of State
Aide-Mémoire
Sir John Simon fully understands the action taken by the United States Government in addressing to the Chinese and Japanese Governments [Page 23] their note of January 7th. This action in substance corresponds with the feelings of His Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom. At the same time the latter have felt that as a League Power their position is somewhat different in view of the explicit declaration made by the Japanese delegate to the Council of the League on October 13th, to the effect that Japan had no territorial ambitions in Manchuria and was the champion in Manchuria of the principle of equal opportunity and the open door for the economic activities of all nations.
Sir John Simon has therefore confined his action to saying to the Japanese Ambassador on January 8th that the effect of the recent Japanese action in Manchuria upon the “open door” was likely to be raised in Parliament as soon as it reassembled. Sir John Simon recalled the Japanese declaration of October 13th and a similar statement by the Japanese Prime Minister reported by Reuter’s Agency on December 28th, and said that while His Majesty’s Government had no reason to doubt these declarations, he would be glad if the Japanese Ambassador would communicate with his Government and obtain specific authority to confirm them. This would enable Sir John Simon to give a satisfactory answer in Parliament and would meet the situation on this point so far as His Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom were concerned.
Sir John Simon also suggested that the Japanese Government might consider making a satisfactory declaration at the meeting of the Council of the League on January 25th of their determination to respect the provisions of the Nine Power Treaty. The Ambassador expressed appreciation of both suggestions and promised to communicate them to Tokyo.