Office of the Historian

756.94/43: Telegram

The Ambassador in Japan (Grew) to the Secretary of State

[Extract]
Tokyo, April 19, 1940—1 p.m.
[Received April 19—10:33 a.m.]

262. My 251, April 16, 7 [8?] p.m.26

1. The Netherlands Minister gave me in confidence the following account of his conversation yesterday with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, upon whom he called to convey under instructions the views of the Netherlands Government with regard to the Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs’ statement on the status of the Netherlands Indies.

(a)
General Pabst first made a conventional statement expressing the appreciation of his Government for Mr. Arita’s statement. The Netherlands Government notion [noted] with satisfaction the desire of the Japanese Government that the status quo with respect to the Netherlands Indies be maintained. The Netherlands Government perceived no reason for assuming that the Netherlands Government would be involved in the European war, but if the Netherlands unfortunately were to become involved the Japanese Government might confidently [Page 11] rely upon the Netherlands Government to maintain the commercial relations with the Netherlands Indies and Japan and assure to Japan the continuation of Japanese commercial and industrial activities in the former area. In recalling the notes addressed to the Netherlands Government on February 5 [4?], 1922, by the four powers party to the Pacific possessions treaty of 1921 making [respecting?] the inviolability of Netherlands territory in the Pacific, General Pabst was instructed to say that his Government is determined not to seek the assistance or good offices of any power [in?] safeguarding of such territory.
(b)
Mr. Arita said that he had already received through the Japanese Minister at The Hague a statement of the views of the Netherlands Government, which statement was similar to that communicated through General Pabst. …

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Grew
  1. Not printed.↩