740.0011 European War 1939/5845½: Telegram
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Kennedy) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 4—8:11 p.m.]
3325. Personal for the President from Former Naval Person.9
“After prolonged consideration of all the issues involved we today decided to let the Burma Road be reopened when the 3 months’ period expired on October 17. Foreign Secretary and I will announce this to Parliament on Tuesday 8th. I shall say that our hopes for a just settlement being reached Japan and China have not borne fruit and that the Three Power Pact revives the Anti-Comintern Pact of 193910 and that it has a clear pointer against the United States. I know how difficult it is for you to say anything which would commit the United States to any hypothetical course or action in the Pacific. But I venture to ask whether at this time a simple action might not speak louder than words. Would it not be possible for you to send an American squadron, the bigger the better, to pay a friendly visit to Singapore. There they would be welcome in a perfectly normal and rightful way. If desired, occasion might be taken of such a visit for a technical discussion of naval and military problems in those and Philippine waters and the Dutch might be invited to join. Anything in this direction would have a marked deterrent effect upon a Japanese declaration of war upon us over the Burma Road opening. I should be very grateful if you would consider action along these lines as it might play an important part in preventing the spreading of the war.
In spite of the Dakar fiasco11 the Vichy Government is endeavoring to enter into relations with us which shows how the tides are flowing in France now that they feel the German weight and see we are able to hold our own.
Although our position in the air is growing steadily stronger both actually and relatively, our need for aircraft is urgent. Several important factories have been seriously injured and the rate of production is hampered by air alarms. On the other hand our losses in pilots have been less than we expected because in fighting over our own soil a very large proportion get down safely or only wounded. When your officers were over here we were talking in terms of pilots. We are now beginning to think that airplanes will be the limiting factor so far as the immediate future is concerned.
I cannot feel that the invasion danger is passed. The gent has taken off his clothes and put on his bathing suit but the water is getting colder and there is an autumn nip in the air. We are maintaining the utmost vigilance.”
- Code name for Winston Churchill, British Prime Minister, formerly First Lord of the Admiralty.↩
- Presumably reference to pact of 1936 between Germany and Japan, to which Italy adhered in 1937; see Foreign Relations, Japan, 1931–1941, vol. ii, pp. 153 and 159.↩
- Dakar, French West Africa, was unsuccessfully attacked by British and Free French forces September 23–25.↩