The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1945-11-16
Pearl Harbor


the Navy translated the same that
the negotiations with the United
States actually were being broken
OF. but told them not 20 give that
impression here.
Japs Ask Meeting
On December ! the japanese
here asked Tokyo whether il Won. d
be possible 70 arrange confer
ence az Honolulu between Vie
President Wallace. or Harry Hop
kins, representing the United
States. and former Premier Honoye
for Japan
These series OF intercepted mes
sages disclosed that the japanese
had told their officials as early as
July PC. 1871, to be prepared for
"diyertinc England and the United
states o, all their interests in Chi
ma
on ;hat date Tokyo advised its
diplomatic circuit that II things
come 20 the worst II wanted all
areas concerned to cooperate N
either destroying OF seizing the con
siderable mining and other indus.
trial equipment and ships OF these
countries
Fast Translation
The Army had decided and trans
lated this message by the next day.
an example OF the fast work that
permitted American diplomatic Of
ticials 10 call the turn Of events TO
the evident puzzlement OF Japa-
nese representatives.
When Japanese in Canton in
formed Tokyo July "A, 1871, that an
eXpeditionary force was 10 be sent
to occupy French lndo-China, the
Army Intelligence Service was able
to lay the full message before of.
fiCials here five days later
Sumner Welles, then Undersec-
Rotary of State, called Minister
WakaSugi OF the Japanese embassy
before him two days later and said
he had adyiCes Japan would take
the southern portion Of lndo-China
by force within few days.
By "a reliable sources of infor-
nation" Wakasugi, asked, did the
Undersecretary mean the L. 5
Embassy in Japan? Wakasugi's
report TO Tokyo said Welles avoid
ed a clear answer.
The Japanese occupied lndo-
China and the United States retail
ated by freezing japanese assets in
this country
As n result of the increasing ten
sion. Tokyo asked its Washington
embassy on August TO try TO ar
range meeting between Mr..
Roosevelt and Premier Konoye.
The Japanese spent nearly three
months attempting to arrange this
meeting before the Konoye Cabi-
net fell early in November.
German Message
In the meantime. on october l6.
Tokyo messaged the Washington
Japanese embassy that the Ger
mans had demanded the japanese
send message TO the United
States along this line:
IF the Roosevelt Administration
contiUes to attack the Axis powers
Increasingly a belligerent situation
would inevitably arise between Ger
many and Italy on one hand and
the United States on the other and
this might lead Japan TO 'oin
imme iIately the war in opposition
to the United States
The Japanese delayed sending
any such message because they
still had hopes OF a conference be
tween Konoye and Mr.. Roosevelt.
When the konoye cabinet fell a
new government decided on Nov. t,
1871. TO make one more try for An
agreement with the United States.
Tokyo told Nomura in a message
that was promptly intercepted and
TRANSLATED here that il a quick
accord could not be reached rela-
tons between the two countries
would be "on the brink of chaos,
adding:
III fact, we gambled the fate Of
our land on the throw OF this die
on November ). Tokyo told No
mura it wa. absolutely necessary
that an agreement be reached with
the United States by November
25. The Navy intercepted and
translated the message the same
day
In reply Nomura complained to
Tokyo about japanese newspaper
stories of a deadline, adding:
If We have really made up our
mind to a final course Of action,
- ,,-,.,1J d., tho mort Of u.iedou, 10
keep still about it."
we realize. Of course their
message said, that an attempt to
have President Roosevelt and form
er Premier Konoye meet, failed.
Tokyo told Berlin in Nov. 80,
1874. il q message translated here
December l. that negotiations with
the United States now stand rup-
tured broken"
In the face OF this our empire
faces grave situation and must
act with determination, said the
messaLe. which asked the Japa-
uese ambassador to arrange for
talks with Hitler and German
Foreign Minister Joachim Won
Ribbentrop.
Warning
On Dec 3, 1871. Nomura messag-
ed Toiyo urging the Japanese gov
eminent TO make its reply to an
American inquiry about the in
GREASE IL japanese forces in lndo-
I China clear as to "our peaceful in
tentiC1s'
a.