893.01/844a: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Japan (Grew)
505. 1. In view of press reports that the Japanese Government may recognize the Nanking regime in the near future, there is given below as of possible assistance a statement in review of this Government’s attitude in regard to that regime and to possible Japanese recognition thereof.
2. The circumstances attending the setting up at Nanking in March of this year of the Wang Ching-wei regime led this Government to believe that from the outset the regime has lacked any spontaneous or genuine broad support on the part of the Chinese public, that it was designed primarily to serve the special purposes of Japan and that it would operate toward depriving the people and governments of the United States and other third countries of long-established rights of equal opportunity and fair treatment in China which are legally and justly theirs. Developments since the setting up of the regime have strengthened this belief. Recognition of the regime by Japan would serve, in the opinion of the Government of the United States, to obstruct and render more difficult the solution of problems inherent in a situation in which many countries including the United States and Japan have a legitimate and substantial interest. The Government of the United States believes that only through upholding the principles of mutual respect for national sovereignty and independence and of equality of commercial opportunity—principles which Japan, the United States and other powers are pledged to support—can a lasting settlement of existing problems in the Far East be achieved.
3. You are of course authorized in your discretion and if you believe that a useful purpose would be served thereby to make known orally and informally the attitude of this Government substantially as set forth in paragraph 2 above to appropriate Japanese officials.