JAPAN DENIES DESIGNS ON RUSSIA 349

assumption that the close association of Germany with Soviet Russia
would continue and that this basic pro-Axis policy has been destroyed
by the outbreak of the Soviet-German war. At least in theory. We
shall see.

JAPAN DENIES DESIGNS ON RUSSIA

July 5>. 1941

Received to-day a communication sent by the Secretary at the
specific request of the President to convey to the Prime Minister an
expression of hope that there was no truth in the reports that Japan
intended to attack Soviet Russia, upsetting the hopes of the American
Government, which it understood were shared by Japan, that peace
in the Pacific area might be rendered more secure and strengthened,
and the President said that he would deeply appreciate an assurance
from Prince Konoye to that effect.

I immediately wrote a letter to the Prime Minister which was sent
to his private residence by safe hand, asking if I could see him to
deliver a message from the President, and saying that I would be
glad to meet him at any suggested place in order to avoid publicity.
His private secretary, Ushiba, called on me shortly thereafter and
said that the Prime Minister would be glad to see me but he feared
publicity if I should come to his residence, and suggested that we
might meet on some golf course. It happened, however, to be a
Sunday when all the courses were crowded and the next day was to
be a holiday, so that Prince Konoye thought it would be difficult to
meet until Tuesday or Wednesday. I said that as the matter was very
urgent I could not delay, but that in order to spare the Premier any
embarrassment I would send the Presidegtfi message through Ushiba
himself, and I thereupon communicate it to Mm, saying that I
would remain in the Embassy all day awaiting a reply. The reply
came in the evening, thanking me for the message and saying that
Prince Konoye's answer would be given me as soon as possible by
the Foreign Minister after he had returned from Gotemba.

Mr. Ushiba in delivering this reply expressed his regret at its in-
complete nature, but said that there was no precedent in Japan for a
Prime Minister to deal directly with foreign ambassadors in foreign
affairs. I politely but with emphasis asked Mr. Ushiba to point out
to Prince Konoye as from me that it would be erroneous to assume
that I had on purpose gone over the head of the Foreign Minister,
and that my procedure was directly in line with the discussions which
Admiral Nomura had conducted directly with President Roosevelt
in Washington, and indeed that the President had told Admiral
Nomura that he would be happy to see him at any time. I made quite
clear to Mr. Ushiba my regret that Prince Konoye had not felt able
to reply directly to the message.

I said to the Department that I did not interpret Prince Konoye's
attitude as in any way implying a rebuff, It was simply a question of