THIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OF HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT
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FAR EASTERN (JAPAN).
CONFIDENTIAL.
June 13,
1939.
SECTION 2.
[F 5660/456/23]
Copy No. 130
Sir R. Craigie to Viscount Halifax.—(Received June 13.)
(No. 328.) My Lord,
Tokyo, April 27, 1939. IN my telegram No. 365, Confidential, I had the honour to report to your Lordship the substance of an informal conversation which I had with the Minister for Foreign Affairs on the 27th instant, respecting the chances of the extension to the Far East of the non-aggression system now in process of formation in Europe. As the conversation may prove to have some bearing on the discussions now in progress for the strengthening of the Anti-Comintern Pact, I think it desirable to record at greater length what took place on that occasion. It had been arranged in the course of my official conversation with the Minister for Foreign Affairs on the 22nd instant that we should have, in a few days' time, a further informal talk in which we could express our respective views more freely than in an official interview subject to the usual press curiosity, so that a meeting arranged at the Tokyo Club to-day followed as a natural sequel.
2. I prefaced my remarks by observing that in our conversation on the 22nd April, Mr. Arita had mentioned that the Japanese Government were care- fully watching developments in relation to: (a) the proposed Anglo-Soviet Agree- ment and the alleged intention to extend its scope to the Far East; (b) reports that the proposed system for defence against aggression would be extended to include China. In reply, I had stated that I thought that such reports were in any case premature, and had pointed out that Mr. Chamberlain's reference in Parliament to point (b) was merely to the effect that the question of the extension of such a system to the Far East would be "borne in mind."
3. Since then I had been giving further thought to this matter and examining the material in my possession, and, in order to prevent any possibility of misunderstanding, I desired to supplement my observations on these points. What I had to say must not be regarded as a communication from my Govern- ment, but rather as a statement of my own view which I was sure would not be found to be at variance with your Lordship's.
4. As regards point (a) above, i.e., the proposed Anglo-Soviet Agreement for defence against aggression, I stated that, as a result of the situation which had recently arisen in Eastern Europe, certain proposals had been made by His Majesty's Government to the Soviet Government. The latter subsequently made counter-proposals which were now under consideration by His Majesy's Government. The point I desired to emphasise was that in both cases the proposals referred only to aggression in Europe. This did not, of course, mean that if either Government were to feel hereafter that they had good reason to fear any form of aggression in the Far East, the possibility of their extending the scope of the understanding or coming to similar arrangements with other interested Governments could be ruled out. On the other hand, I could definitely state that His Majesty's Government had by no means abandoned hope of restoring really friendly relations with Japan, and they were consequently most unlikely to take any step calculated to prejudice this end unless they were compelled to do so by force of circumstances.
5. I then referred to point (b), i.e., the question of inclusion of China and other Far Eastern countries in any combination of Governments for the purpose of resisting aggression. The statements of the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs had, I said, been made in reply to questions in Parliament and they gave the only possible answer in the circumstances, seeing that His Majesty's Government were naturally not prepared to state here and now that they would in no event extend the proposed conversations to the Far
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