756.94/85: Telegram
The Ambassador in Japan (Grew) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 14—5:30 a.m.]
335. 1. On instructions from his Government my British colleague38 last evening made to the Foreign Minister an oral communication in the following sense:
“His Majesty’s Government fully share the concern of the Japanese Government for the maintenance of the status quo of the Netherlands East Indies. They have been informed by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs that the Netherlands forces on the spot are sufficient to maintain order and security and that there is consequently no need for assistance from any quarter.
“His Majesty’s Government for their part have no intention of intervening in the Netherlands East Indies.
2. The Foreign Minister expressed his appreciation at receiving this communication. He added that it was hardly necessary to assure Sir Robert Craigie (and he later gave categorical assurances) that the Japanese Government for its part also has no intention of intervening in the Netherlands East Indies. Mr. Arita’s main preoccupation appeared to be in regard to the continuance of Japan’s supplies of raw materials from those islands. The Ambassador replied [Page 18] that in this respect he did not consider The Netherlands Government was likely to take any different attitude from that hitherto pursued by the Bulgarian [British?] Government in relation to commodities exported from Malaya and the Straits Settlements.
- Sir Robert Craigie.↩