Evening star., 1945-12-19

BY the Associated Press.
TOKYO, Dec. 10. - The United
States bluntly warned Japan's en-
voys on July 81, 1941, that Japanese
occupation of French 1ndo-C China
then contemplated-would render
any further talk of peace hopeless -
Prince Fumimaro Konoye, then Pre-
mier, wrote in his memoirs.
The memoirs credited the state
ment to Sumner Welles, then Amer
ican Undersecretary of State The
memoirs were released to the Asso-
ciated Press three days before Kon-
Dyes suicide Sunday.
Yet a full month after that warm
ing, he wrote, America and Japan
seemed nearest to averting the war
The late President Roosevelt on
August %, l941, Konoye said, ex-
pressed desire to meet personally
with the prince to settle the differ
ences which were swinging the two
nations in conflict.
Konoye made the original pro-
posal for such a meeting with the
consent of the Emperor, he wrote.
Summoning Ambassador Nomura,
who delivered Konoye's proposal
for the meeting, Mr.. Roosevelt was
quoted as saying Il desire meet
ing of about three days with Prince
Konoye." The ex-premier added
although he did not make any COM
mitment as to time, he showed he
was very much in favor of it. It
probably may be that this was the
time that the United States came
closest to U.s."
But something happened. Mr.
Roosevelt's enthusiasm cooled be-
tween August % and September 8
when "he gave Nomura a message
for me and although it was very
respectful, a clear expression of
agreement on the meeting was
avoided"
Whether the meeting could have
prevented the war and assured peace
in the Pacific is questionable, but
Konoye told Associated Press Core
spondent Russell Brines recently II
feel confident that if I had been
able to see Roosevelt. I could have
established a basis for imperial
house intervention in the rising war
tide within Japan at that time
According to the memoirs, the
United States learned that Japan
was planning to move into Indo-
China and on July 81 Mr.. Welles
warned that according to informa-
ton received 1t seems that Japan
will occupy French Indo-China
soon. If so, conversations will be-
come hopeless"
Reds Nearly Joined Pact.
Earlier, document was released
by a son of Konoye asserting that
Russia in late 1910 agreed "in prin-
ciple" to join members of the Tri-
partite Alliance in four power en-
tente which assigned the Eastern
world among them.
Micnitaka Konoye said the docu-
ment was prepared by his father
prior to his death
In the document, Konoye reports.
japanese Foreign Minister Yosuke
Matsuoka said he had been told
in Berlin that Iran and India
we're to be Russia's future sphere
If influence" under a secret agree
nent accompanying the proposed
Japan was to receive the
South Seas area; Germany would
lave taken Central Africa, and
italy Northern Africa
Plan Foiled.
Konoye said, however, the plan
Jailed to progress and that three
months after the agreement in prin-
,iple was reached, German officially
openly talked about the inevitability
If Nazi-Soviet war.
(Acting Secretary of State
Dean Acheson questioned about
the plan at his press conference
today, said he knew nothing
about it and doubted that any
discussions on it were ever heidi
Japan once officially requested
Berlin to avoid war with Russia,
but the overture was brushed aside