OFF ON THE RIGHT FOOT 37

that he had had no instructions to do so but that yesterday, in a
conversation with Arita, he had urged against precipitancy on the
ground that such action would complicate the whole situation. Martel
believes that the public statements of Araki and others expressing
a determination for early recognition are purely for home consumption
and that the Government will not act hastily.

Uchida was to-day formally installed as Minister of Foreign Affairs,
and he gave an interview to the Japanese press correspondents in
which he said that Japan's foreign policy would remain unchanged
and that while Japan will claim what is due, Japan dislikes to act
unnecessarily against the interests of other powers ; that the mis-
understandings of the other powers will eventually be dispelled but
that any blunder on Japan's part may lead to grave consequences.
The term " grave consequences " as published in the Japan Times
naturally caught my eye, and I had Dickover call up Shiratori and
ask him if this was an accurate translation of Uchida's remarks.
Shiratori replied that the rendering in English sounded somewhat
more forcible than in Japanese but that the statement as we had it
was substantially correct.

OFF ON THE RIGHT FOOT

July 9, 1932

With regard to informative contacts, it is not going to be very easy
to make many of them this summer because so many people go away
and there is practically no social entertaining to give one a chance
to get in touch with informed Japanese. A pleasant initial basis
appears to have been laid, but the question is how best to make use
of it. Some foreign diplomat told me the other day that his Japanese
dentist remarked to him that the new American Ambassador had
started " on the right foot," while Count Makino told General Frank
McCoy, American representative on the Lytton Commission, that
we were going to have great influence here and could accomplish a
lot. The question is : how*

The Japanese Government knows the point of view of the United
States perfectly, and I believe that in the present very restive state
of public opinion, more is to be lost than gained by rubbing it in.
Any publicity to the effect that the American Ambassador was trying
to prevent the Government from recognizing Manchukuo would
result in a howl from the public and in the press which might force
the Government into earlier action than it intended, and the press
, at present represents the military point of view. A big mass meeting
has just been held, attended by some of the highest officers, including
one or more lieutenant-generals, and passed a resolution demanding
the immediate recognition of Manchukuo.

To-day I wrote to Cqunt Makijio to ask if I loight come to sec him'
to pay my respects. I hope that we can have a very frank cUsfcpssipn
and that he may perhaps give me some useful suggestions. I want