JAPAN'S " NEW STRUCTURE " RISES FAST

are inspired only by British military defeats in Europe, and we cannot
expect that approaches in such circumstances to Japan for improve-
ment of relations will be entertained."

After reading these clippings, which I assume are a fair cross
section of the American papers, I have the impression that the
American press and therefore the American public do not differentiate
between " appeasement " and that form of adjustment of mutual
problems which should not be beyond the wit and goodwill of man to
bring about consistently with our honour, our interests, and our
obligation to third countries.

MATSUOKA AND STEINHARDT GET TOGETHER

August 24, 1940

For the first time since I came to Japan eight years ago, a Foreign
Minister has called me directly on the telephone ! It was Matsuoka,
just to thank me for the dinner last night, which he said he had
enjoyed enormously, and also to say that he had greatly enjoyed his
talk with Laurence Steinhardt, our Ambassador to Russia, this
morning. Matsuoka after last night's dinner said that he would
welcome a further talk, and asked Steinhardt to come to see him this
morning. They talked for an hour and a quarter, and of course
Steinhardt told me everything. He particularly refused to discuss
Japanese-American relations, as he said that that was my bailiwick
on which he did not wish to presume. The talk was mainly about
Soviet Russia. Perhaps Matsuoka, in telephoning me, merely wanted
to make it clear that he was saying nothing behind my back.

Another interesting item is that Matsuoka sent his private secretary
to my private secretary to say that he was sending an English-speaking
Japanese to accompany Steinhardt all the way to Peiping and then
to the Siberian frontier, just to make sure that he would have no
difficulties with detectives and customs people en route. But what is
more interesting is that at our next meeting Matsuoka said that he
had told his private secretary to say to my private secretary that if at
any moment Steinhardt should feel that the purpose of this Japanese
was to spy on him, he was to send said Japanese packing back to
Tokyo. And what is most interesting of all is that Matsuoka's private
secretary refrained from delivering that particular message. Evidently
he felt that he must censor his chief's indiscreet remarks !

JAPAN'S " NEW STRUCTURE " RISES FAST

September i, 1940

August was a month of building up the " new structure " in Japan
under the Konoye Government and of more or less marking time in
foreign affairs while awaiting the result of the " Battle of Britain "—
upon which many things everywhere seem to be waiting.
., The " new structure " is going ahead fast and Japan is rapidly