THIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OF HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT
198
FAR EASTERN (JAPAN).
CONFIDENTIAL.
[F 2160/23/23]
March 3, 1939.
SECTION 4.
Copy No.
131
(No. 49.) My Lord,
Sir R. Craigie to Viscount Halifax. (Received March 3.)
Tokyo, January 30, 1939. WITH reference to my despatch No. 29 of the 19th January, I have the honour to report that, up to the present, the proceedings in the Diet have been uneventful. There has been considerable criticism of the record of the Administration both in foreign affairs and in finance, but the Diet has made little constructive contribution to the framing of future policy. I have the honour to enclose a translation of some of the more interesting passages extracted from the official records of the debates and classified according to subjects.(1)
2. With regard to foreign affairs, the speeches of the representatives of the major political parties betray at least a desire that retaliation by third Powers should be avoided. They suggest that there are no grounds for retaliation and that the threat of it is due to the ineptitude of the Government's handling of the situation. Only the spokesmen of the extremist minority groups profess indifference to foreign opinion and urge the Government to take a firmer stand vis-à-vis the Powers.
3. The House of Representatives would seem to have been satisfied by the Prime Minister's exposition of his views on the subject of constitutional govern- ment (please see enclosure). With misgivings on this score set at rest, the country appears to be more favourably disposed towards the new Government than was the case at first.
4. In the course of his speech on the 21st January, Mr. Ando, of the Seiyukai, demanded the presence of Prince Konoye in the Lower House to explain the circumstances in which the former Government resigned and to reply to criticism regarding his inclusion in the present Cabinet while holding the office of president of the Privy Council. On various pretexts, Prince Konoye postponed attendance until the 28th January, when he repeated the reasons quoted in paragraph 2 of my despatch under reference. He added that his inclusion in the Government was intended to give the lie to any impression which might have been created either in Japan or abroad that the Cabinet crisis indicated a rift in national solidarity. He is subsequently reported to have stated to a press correspondent that he considered that this latter objective had already been attained. His withdrawal from the Government is accordingly expected in the near future.
558 c-4
I have, &c.
R. L. CRAIGIE.
(1) Not printed.