Foreign Relations of the United States Diplomatic Papers, 1939, The Far East, Volume III

756D.94/28: Telegram

The Ambassador in France (Bullitt) to the Secretary of State

Tokyo, April 26, 1939—2 p.m.
[Received April 26—7:46 a.m.]

202. Our 190, April 20, 8 p.m.²⁷

1. The Secretary of the Netherlands Legation informs us that according to the Netherlands Consul at Shanghai now visiting in Japan the Netherlands Consul General at Shanghai received information from what he considered to be a reliable source to the effect that the Japanese Fleet had received orders to proceed “in the event of war in Europe” to the Netherlands East Indies under the guise of carrying out routine maneuvers following which certain demands would be presented to the Netherlands East Indies Government; but that the orders did not contemplate the immediate occupation of Netherlands territory.

2. This statement differs in one important respect from the report brought to the Department by the Netherlands Minister,²⁷ namely, the contingency of war in Europe.

3. Without knowing the source of the Netherlands Consul General’s information, we are not in a position to weigh the accuracy of such information. However, in view of the secrecy which surrounds the movements of Japanese naval vessels, we are inclined to believe that his information is probably in the nature of a shrewd forecast of developments in the contingency of a European war.

Grew

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