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I POINTED OUT THAT IT WOULD BE MORE USUAL, RATHER THAN ASKING US TO WITHDRAW A NOTE WHICH HAD ALREADY BEEN HANDED OVER (AND WHICH HAD BEEN DESIGNED TO MEET THEIR REQUIREMENTS), TO REPLY TO IT WITH A STATEMENT OF THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT'S CONCERNS, BUT MATSUNAGA WAS AFRAID THAT SUCH A REPLY WOULD MERELY CONTAIN A
REPETITION OF THE MINISTRY OF JUSTICE'S UNACCEPTABLE DEMANDS. I ACCORDINGLY AGREED TO PUT THIS PROPOSITION TO YOU. MATSUNAGA
SEEMED REASONABLY CONFIDENT THAT THE NEW NOTE WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE. HE IS NOW SOUNDING OUT THE GROUND, YOU MAY CONSIDER THAT IT WILL BE BEST FOR THE REFUGEES, THE OWNERS OF THE SHIP AND OTHERS
CONCERNED TO GIVE IT KM TRY. MY IMPRESSION IS THAT IT MAY WELL DO
THE TRICK SO FAR AS THE PRESENT CASE IS CONCERNED, AND THAT ALTHOUGH
WE SHALL HAVE NO FORMAL COMMITMENT TO A REVISION OF THE JAPANESE
ATTITUDE OF PRINCIPLE, IT WILL IN PRACTICE HAVE BEEN UNDERMINED
TO,A RECONSIDERABLE EXTENT,
2. MEANWHILE, AFTER SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM US THROUGH THE AGENT HERE, THE OWNERS OF THE SHIP HAVE AGREED TO POSTPONE ITS DEPARTURE
FROM JAPAN FOR 24 HOURS. THIS GIVES US UNTIL 4PM ON 22 SEPTEMBER
LOCAL TIME (8AM GMT) TO SORT THIS QUESTION OUT. THE AGENT DID
TELL US THAT HE WAS UNDER INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE OWNERS TO APPROACH
US ABOUT THE COST OF THE 24 HOURS' DELAY. WE REMINDED THE AGENT
THAT WE HAD SUGGESTED TO HIM THAT IT MIGHT BE WORTH THE INVESTMENT
OF THAT MUCH OF THE OWNER'S MONEY TO HAVE THE CHANCE OF LANDING THE
REFUGEES IN JAPAN. THE OWNERS COULD HAVE REFUSED AND TAKEN THE
REFUGEES AWAY. THE AGENT AT LEAST SHOULD HAVE BEEN UNDER NO
MISAPPREHENSION ON THE FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY.
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13. GRATEFUL