Evening star., 1942-07-29
jap Foreign Office
In Dark on Army's
Intent to Attack
BY MAX HILL,

Associated Press War CORRESPONDENT.
LOURENCO MARQUES, Portu-
guese East Africa, July % DelayedD.
The usually cordial voice of AM
bassador Joseph c. Grew came cold
and reserved over the telephone that
sunny Sunday morning in Toxic last
December.
mad called to ask the American
envoy about message had just
received telling of President Roose-
velt's personal appeal to Emperor
Hirohito to intervene to save the
peace.
There's nothing I can say; abso-
lutely nothing at this time" he said.
The call gave him the first inkling
of the critical turn in the Japanese
American negotiations.
The japanese military had played
it's usual calculating hand and
stopped Washington's message to
Mr.. Grew telling him of the Presl
dents 18th hour action.
But japanese censors slipped
somehow in permitting correspond
ents to receive theirs.
Message Delayed for Hours.
The Embassy's first message was
received in Toxic at 10 am, but was
not delivered until that night,
short hours before Pearl Harbor was
attacked.
Thus did the war makers make
sure that no last-minute effort by
the United States could head OF the
conflict.
1t was a restless, nerve-shaklng III
hours that Mr.. Grew spent from the
time of the call from the Associated
Press Office until he finally received
the State Departments pilot mes
sage stating an important message
from the President had been sent to
the Emperor
Lights burned brightly that night
in the Embassy Offices and residence
AS Mr.. Grew and Eugene H. Dooman,
Embassy counselor, conferred in the
envoy's walnut-paneled library.
While Mr.. Grew puffed at his pipe
In silence, Mr.. Dooman called For
eign Minister Shigenori Togo's sec
retary.
Mr.. Dooman explained that an i'm
portant communication had just
come from Washington and that,
regardless Of the hour, Mr.. Grew
must see Togo that night.
Togo's Secretary Surprised.
Polite surprise seemed to be the
attitude of Togo's secretary.
An hour later-at 10 o'clock-the
secretary telephoned and said Togo
would wait at his official residence
until midnight for Mr.. Grew.
Code clerks labored, meanwhile,
behind locked doors over the text of
President Roosevelt's communica-
ton to the Emperor. They deliv-
cred completed text at 1145 pm.
Mr.. Grew and Mr.. Dooman looked
vainly for a chauffeur and finally
the Ambassador was driven through
Tokio's deserted streets to Togo's
residence, just behind the Diet
Building, by Merrell Bennington of
the Embassy staff.
Mr.. Grew, wearing a gray business
suit, entered slowly and gravely and
shook hands with Togo. Greetings
exchanged, they sat down in blue
plush overstuffed armchairs in
second-hoo drawing room.
Mr.. Grew then began reading the
presidential message. He left in 25
minutes. 1t was understood that
Mr.. Grew saw look of surprise on
| Togo's face.
From all indications the military
| had not informed the Foreign ONCE
of it's plans to attack Pearl Harbor-
which started almost at the moment
| Togo was with Mr.. Grew.
Togo seemed to think the mid
night hurry and hustle was unneces-
sary; that a morning conference
should have been adequate.
Most Americans in Toxic naturally
were unaware of the momentous de-
velopments. Besides missionaries
and the Embassy staff, only cor
respondents and National City Bank
of New York and Standard OIL en-
ployes remained.
Virtually all of them were rounded
up quickly by squads of gendarmes
and police and marched off to prison
or internment bright and early Mon
day morning.