Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-11-16
Jap Messages Reveal
u. ). Believed Peace
Talks Would Fail

one of the intercepted Jap code
messages made public yesterday at
the opening of the Pearl Harbor
investigation. nix
japanese Ambassador Nomura
sent message to Tokyo on No.
vember 10, saying that a cabinet
member, whom he did not name,
told him the President and the Sec
rotary of State believed those re-
ports.
Nomura's message, which was
translated by this Government on
November IL. read in part:
Yesterday evening, Sunday, a
certain cabinet member, discarding
all quibbling, began by saying to
me:
"'You are indeed a dear friend of
mine and I tell you this alone Then
he continued, The American Gov
eminent is receiving number of
reliable reports that Japan will be
on the move soon. The American
Government does not believe that
your visit on Monday to the Presi-
dent or the coming of Mr. Kurusu
tthe special peace envoy will have
any effect on the general situation.
Tells of Jap Impatience.
Il took pains to explain, in detail
how impatient the japanese have
grown since the freezing: how they
are eager for quick understanding
how both the government and the
people do not desire a Japanese
American war. and how we will hope
for peace until the end.
He replied, however: Well, our
boss, the President, believes those
reports and so does the Secretary
of State"
1t also was revealed at the hear
ing yesterday that from January
1941, eleven months before the at
tack, the American armed forces had
been intercepting and DECIDING
japanese military messages. They
had broken the Japanese diplomatic
code by August 8, 1941, and Tokyo's
instructions to its Representatives in
the worlds capitals were being read
by Americans.
The Japs ordered their code books
and machines destroyed December 2.
They apparently believed the
United States and Great Britain
were preparing to occupy the Meth
erlands East Indies and they were
prepared to attack in that area.
Got Promises From Axis.
The japanese told their Axis
allies as early as the last week in
November that negotiations with
the United States were broken off
and got German and Italian prom
Uses to join with them if they went
to war against the Americans.
In the record of messages laid
before the committee were many
which indicated that Tokyo had in
structed its peace" ambassadors to
play for time while the japanese
task force already was steaming
toward Pearl Harbor.
Nomura and Kurusu were told by
Tokyo in a November % message
that the negotiations with the
United States actually were being
broken off but told them not to give
that impression here.
Tokyo told Berlin in November
80, 194l, in message translated
here December /, that negotiations
with the United States now stand
ruptured-broken."
Tn the face of this our empire
faces grave situation and must act
with determination" said the mes
sage, which asked the japanese
Ambassador to arrange for talks
with Hitler and German Foreign
Minister Joachim Won Ribbentrop.
Urged Peaceful Message.
On December 3, 1941, Nomura
messaged Tokyo urging the Japa-
nese government to make its reply
to an American inquiry about the
increase in japanese forces in
Indo-China clear as to our peace
full intentions"
There is no saying but what
the United States Government will
take a bold step, depending upon
how our reply is made" the mes
sage said.
In the same message in which
Nomura told of his conversation with
the unnamed cabinet officer, the
Ambassador also reported he had
sent Frederick Moore, legal adviser
to the Japanese Embassy here, to
interview both Senator Ebert
Thomas, Democrat, of Utah, of the
Senate Foreign Relations Commit
tee, and Secretary Hull Moore
brought back this report, Nomura
said:
THE United States is not bluffing
If Japan invades again, the United
States will fight with Japan. Psy-
chologically the American people are
ready. The Navy is prepared and
ready for action"
Tells of Private Talk.
After he had sent his telegram
about the conversation with the
cabinet member, Senator Thomas
and MI. Hull, Nomura reported in
an extremely urgent" message the
gist of the talk he had had with
President Roosevelt, which he said
was held in private room in the
White House to avoid publicity"
Nomura outlined at length the
views of his government with re-
spect to American demands for the
withdrawal of japanese troops from
China and French Indo-C China and
other matters then under discus
sion. Then he quoted Mr.. Roose-
welt as follows:
1T is my earnest wish that the
preliminary talks relative to this
question would have good results,
which would serve as a basis of fu-
ture negotiation. I will, just as the
Japanese government hopes, do my
best in order to help carry on these
negotiations successfully. I wish
that the Japanese government
would clearly set forth its intention
of following a peaceful course in
this policy and not an opposite
course. This is the way to attain
the results toward which both you
and We are working"
p. Warner Named