756D.94/82: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Japan (Grew)
376. Your 927, October 2, 5 p.m.,7 first section. There is no warrant in any statement made by officers of the Department for a report by anyone that it is “the view of the American Government that no evidence exists of preparations by the Japanese looking to action against the Dutch East Indies.” In view of repeated indications by British and Netherlands officialdom of apprehension lest the Japanese, unless immediately accorded sweeping concessions by the Netherlands East Indies, might proceed in force against the Netherlands East Indies in the near future, Hornbeck in particular put to Lothian on September 19 a number of questions. Stating that we have no evidence of special preparations, such as the assembling and equipment of an expeditionary force, by the Japanese looking toward early action against the Netherlands East Indies, Hornbeck inquired whether the British and the Dutch have any knowledge of any such preparations. Lothian stated that he had none but that he would make inquiry. On September 30 Hornbeck reminded Lothian of the group of questions which he had asked 12 days before. Lothian said that he had passed the questions on to London but had received no reply to any of them.
We make no assumption that the Japanese will not attack the Netherlands East Indies. We believe, however, that the making of a decision by them to make such an attack would be invited and accelerated by indications that the Dutch were willing to accede to whatever the Japanese demanded, whether reasonable or unreasonable, and, conversely, would be discouraged or retarded by efforts on the part of the Dutch to keep the current negotiations on an essentially commercial basis with indication of a willingness to meet reasonable desiderata but no intention of complying with excessive and discriminatory demands.
- Not printed. This telegram, numbered 927 and 928, transmitted paraphrases of telegrams from the British Ambassador in Japan to the British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, commenting on a report from the British Ambassador in Washington. The British Ambassador in Japan cited indications of Japanese intentions to act against the Netherlands East Indies and warned against either relaxing opposition to Japanese moves of aggression or any declaration or act which would incite Japan to make an attack before the United Kingdom and the United States were prepared for such a contingency. He warned also that, if Japan reached an agreement with the Soviet Union and the United States meanwhile failed to give clear indication that it would assist against aggressive moves by Japan, the British must be ready for an immediate attack upon Singapore and Hong Kong.↩