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operating in our minds, and assure him that a desire to take advantage of any opening there might be for favourable development in these matters would not mean that we were departing from the broad strategy of our Far Eastern policy, which we sought to follow so far as we could in conformity with that pursued by the United States Government. We felt that, if the event showed a more reasonable attitude on the part of the Japanese Government, this would be largely due to the firm policy pursued by the United States, from which we should in some degree enjoy advantage and of which certainly we should not wish to do anything to diminish the effect. I thought at the present time it was probably true to say that there was a conflict in progress in Japan between the elements advocating rapprochement with Germany and Russia, and elements more friendly to the United States and ourselves, who would be in favour of a rapprochement with our two countries. It seemed to me in the highest degree desirable that we should so play our hand as not to give unnecessary discouragement to our potential friends to the advantage of ill-wishers.
5. The Ambassador said that he quite appreciated the force of what I had said to him and would certainly speak to the President on the lines I had suggested. It would, he thought, be helpful if we could keep the President fully informed, and this I told him we should naturally in any case be doing. I am, &c.
HALIFAX.