741.9411/212: Telegram
The Ambassador in Japan (Grew) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 23—6:48 a.m.]
188. Department’s 145, August 22, 7 p.m. 1. Kato, who covers the Foreign Office for Rengo, told Fleisher today that when he and other Japanese newspaper correspondents asked Hirota concerning the rumors of a renewal of the Anglo-Japanese alliance Hirota said that in 1902 when the alliance was formed76 he had advocated the inclusion of the United States and that his views in this respect had not changed. He added that in case the United States should be prevented by its traditional policy from now joining such an alliance no such alliance should be formed against the United States because the Minister felt that Anglo-American-Japanese friendship and cooperation were essential to the peace of the world and he wished to take no step which would alienate American friendship. The Minister apparently sent a direct reply to the questions of the correspondents regarding present Anglo-Japanese negotiations. No foreigners were present at the interview.
2. From reliable evidence I am convinced that the British Embassy in Tokyo knows nothing whatever concerning any current Anglo-Japanese negotiations or agreement.77
Repeated to Peiping by mail.
- Foreign Relations, 1902, p. 514.↩
- The Counselor of Embassy in Great Britain, in a letter dated August 22, stated: “Although the Foreign Office had informed the press it was all nonsense, I thought it was worth while to make a pro forma inquiry of the Far Eastern Department today, and was told that the only matter under discussion between the Japanese Embassy and the Tokyo Foreign Office now was the Manchukuo oil question …” and that the rumored accord “was without the faintest horizon of foundation.” (741.9411/214)↩