ON£ WORLD : TWO WARS

Secretary of State. The Minister emphasized that these terms should
not be regarded as a new proposal but as related and supplementary
to his statement to me of September 4 when he confirmed that the
Japanese Government still desired to seek the good offices of the
President in bringing the conflict with China to an end.

5. Admiral Toyoda told me that great internal changes had
occurred during the past month as a result of the publicity that the
suggested meeting between the President and the Japanese Prime
Minister had received abroad and as a result of the published reports
and references on radio broadcasts abroad in regard to the con-
versations in progress between Japan and the United States. Thanks
to the efforts of the Japanese Government, public opinion in Japan
and the Japanese press in the main are not aware of the develop-
ments referred to above, but the publicity abroad is known to certain
groups in Japan and has increased the activities of those elements
in Japan who are opposed to an understanding with the United
States.

6. The Government of Japan will attempt to guard against any
incidents or special occurrences in connection with the anniversary
on September 27 of Japan's adherence to the Axis and will allow this
anniversary to be celebrated by private organizations. However,
should a considerable lapse of time occur following the anniversary
without any sign as to the attitude of the United States, the groups
referred to above who are against an understanding with the United
States and who are informed of the Japanese-American conversations
might find it possible to inflame public opinion in Japan and thus
make it very difficult for these talks to continue.

7. Admiral Toyoda pointed out that the Japanese Government is
still awaiting the American answer to the various points set forth
by him in his statement of September 4. He expressed his belief that
in that statement the Japanese Government had with complete
frankness revealed to the American Government its intentions and
desires*

In reply to the Minister's question whether any further informa-
tion had been received from Washington, I conveyed to him the
substance of the Department's cable of September 20, which had
been decoded immediately before my call on the Minister. Admiral
Toyoda was especially struck by the Secretary's remark to the Japanese
Ambassador that the Government of the United States fully shared
the desire of the Japanese Government to hasten matters. The
Minister expressed die thought that although the desire of the United
States Government to confer with other governments in regard to
the suggested agreement was clearly recognized3 the element of delay
which would be involved in such consultations might have a most
unfortunate effect

With reference to the lack of concern felt by the Japanese Am-
bassador in Washington regarding the anniversary on September 27