761.94/7–2145: Telegram
No. 1257
The Japanese Minister of
Foreign Affairs (Togo) to the Japanese Ambassador in the Soviet
Union (Sato)
[Translation]
secret
urgent
urgent
[Tokyo,] July 28, 1945—10:45 a.m.
952. Re my telegram No. 944.1
- 1.
- The position taken by the Soviet Union in connection with the Potsdam joint declaration made by Great Britain, the United States, and Chungking2 will henceforth have a bearing on our planning and will be a very important problem. When we consider that details of every conference (Quebec, Cairo, etc.) held by the above three countries have been supplied to the Soviet Union, it is not difficult to imagine that the Soviet Union will have detailed knowledge of the recent joint declaration.
- 2.
- However, we have been awaiting the Soviet reply regarding the dispatch of the special envoy and we cannot help but have doubts that there may be some connection between the new joint declaration and our request. Is there no connection at all between the new joint declaration and the above-mentioned request? Also, did or did [Page 1293] not the Soviet Government inform England and the United States of our above-mentioned request? And what steps will the Soviet side take against the Japanese Empire from now on? These questions will all remain of interest to our side.
- 3.
- For the time being, countermeasures against the joint declaration will be decided after we receive and study the Soviet reply to our request. Thus, Mr. Ambassador, keeping this in mind, meet with Molotov without delay, and at the beginning make our aims clearly understood as described in our outgoing telegrams. Also, on that occasion, endeavor to find out the Soviet Union’s attitude regarding the joint declaration.