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REF ID:A487590 

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NAVY DEPAR'ThimT 

OFFICE OF NAVAL INTELLIGlllCE 

WASHING'ION 

GZ-18 

25 June, 1941 

MEMORANOOM FOR THE CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS 

Subject: Secret Canal Zone Mapa. 

1. Acquisition of subject maps by the Italian Minister to Panama, and Japanese plans to take them by fast 

means to Japan, are indicated in the attached memorandum 

which, based on highly reliable in.formation, gives the 

substance of a report, dated 17 June, 1941, from the Japanese Minister in Panama, and a directive, dated 23 June, 1941, 

from Foreign Minister Matsuoka to the Japanese Minister 

in Mexico City. 

Distribution: 

A. G. KIRK, 

Captain, U.S. Navy, 

Director of;Naval Intelligence. 

Naval Aide to the President 

Secretary of State 

:Original. 

:(1) 

M. I.D. :(1) 

File :(2) 
REF ID:A487590 

\ ... _\,.: .. TIME ZONE CHART OF THE WORLD 
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REF ID:A487590 

MEMORANDUM 

- - - -Gz-Is- - - -

Report. dated 17 June, 1941 

from the Japanese Minister in Panama 

to Foreign Minister Matsuoka and 

the Japanese Ambassador in Washington 

The Italian Minister showed me many secret charts 

made b1 the Canal Zone Administration, showing the locations 

of equipment, gups, and _other military establishments in the 

Canal Zone. 

I glanced through them, and found them to be extremely detailed. In considering the process by which these 

charts were obtained, I feel that it would be absolutely impossible to obtain them in the future. Accordingly, I approached the Italian Minister regarding them. It appears 

that he has no objections to our making copies of them, provided that this is done in Tokyo, after we have delivered them 

to the Italian Embassy there. However, as all ports here are 

being very.closely watched, there is no other way of taking 

these charts o~t except by plane • 

I wonder if it would not be possible to have some 

Japanese merchant in South America, who is either returning 

t.o J'apan or is being transferred to some other country, take 

these ·charts out; or to have one of our office-staff deliver th~ to a designated place? At present, all the places where 

recent defense operations are being carried out are being 

marked on these charts-. This work is estimated to take about 

one week to finish. 

The Italian Minister stated that if handling of 

this in Japan caused too much delay, there is no other way 

than to take them by plane from to Washington (?). 

In this case, he stated that he would want to have it copied (?) at Washington (?). Please send instructions without 

fail. Secret. 

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Directive dated 23 June 1941 

from Foreign Minister Matsuoka 

to the Japanese Minister in Me.xi.co City. 

Regarding the plans for procuring maps of the Panama 

Canal and vicinity, please have career attache Kihara make an 

official trip to Panama. (It might be well to have secretary 

Yoshimizu accompany him.) 

Have the maps taken out by plane, and then have Sato, 

the Naval Attache, bring them to Tokyo with him when he returns. 

(Page l of 2) 
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Furthermore, since the Panama Legation, in their 

report of 17 June to me, . mentioned the question of a trip, 

get in touch with them regarding date and time of arrival. 

(American surveillance will unquestionably be vigilant. 

There are also some suspicions that they read some of our 

codes; therefore, we wish to exercise the utmost caution in 

accomplishing this mission. Also, any telegrams exchanged 

between you and Panama should be very short, for security, 

or be in innocuous plain language • 

(Page 2 of 2)