Evening star., 1948-02-19
The Memoirs of CordeN Hull
Jap Messages, Deciphered With Broken Code,
Showed Fuithlessness in Peace Talks Here

'menC ana q paper containing an
''oral explanation" of the proposals.
We were now in possession OF
Japan's ofilcial propositions. A
basis was laid, as of May IL, for the
discussion that went on, with one
interruption, up to Pearl Harbor.
Very few rays Of hope shone from
the document. What Japan was
proposing was mostly to her own
advantage. It called, in effect, for
a species Of joint overlordship Of
the Pacific area by Japan and the
United States, with Japan the
baron of the part that embraced
nine-tenths Of the population and
the wealth, and with little consid-
Grafton for the rights and interests
Of other nations.
To have rejected it outright would
have meant throwing away the only
real chance we had had In many
months to enter with Japan into q
fundamental discussion of all the
questions outstanding between us.
Consequently, we decided to go
forward on the basis of the Japanese
proposals.
Japs Prepared for War.
AS soon as the Japanese govern
ment realized we were willing to use
the May II proposals as basis for
discussion, they began instantly to
move, not in our direction with more
conciliatory proposals, but in the
opposite direction with changes that
brought the proposals more into
line with their imperialistic ambi-
tions and their Axis alliance.
We had very definite knowledge
of what Japan was planning. On
the surface an imperial conference
was held in Tokyo on July 2, fol-
lowing which military steps Of an
alarming nature began to be taken.
Between one and two million men
were called to the armed forces,
Japanese merchant vessels were sud-
denly recalled from the Atlantic.
travel restrictions and strict CEN
sorship of mails and communica-
tions were imposed in Japan. The
various steps taken were indicative
OF preparations for major war.
Under the surface our intercepts
of Japanese government messages
now gave us equally alarming in
formation. A message from Tokyo
to Berlin on July 2 contained these
ominous paragraphs on policy:
Il. Imperial Japan shall adhere to
the policy of contributing to world
peace by establishing the Great
East Asia Sphere of Co-Prosperity,
regardless Of how the world situa-
ton may change.
20. The imperial government shall
continue its endeavor to dispose OF
the China incident, and shall take
measures with a view to advancing
southwark in order to establish
firmly basis for her sef-existence
and self-protection."
Policy to Be Executed.
A message from Matsuoka to No
mura on the same day added: Prep
arations for southwark advance shall
be reinforced and the policy already
decided upon with reference to
French Indo-C China and Thailand
shall be executed. As regards the
Russo-German war, although the
spirit of the three-power Axis shall
be maintained, every preparation
shall be made at the present ana
the situation shall be dealt with In
our own way.
I'm the meantime, diplomatic
negotiations shall be carried on with
extreme care. Although every means
available shall be resorted to In or
der to prevent the United States
from joining the war, if need be,
japan shall act in accordance with
the three-power pact and shall de-
eide when and how force Will be
employed"
Shortly thereafter Japanese troops
on July 81 occupied the southern
portions of do-China and were
now in possession Of the whole OF
Frances strategic province, point
ing like a pudgy thumb toward tina
Philippines, Malaga and the Dutch
East Indies.
Welles telephoned me at Whlte
Sulphur Springs on July 23 to talk
over with me what he should say
to Nomura, who had requested an
interview with him.
I said to him that the invasion OF
Southern Indo-China looked like
Japan's last step before jumping on
for a full-scale attack in the South
western Pacific. Since 1t came in
the midst Of the conversations We
were holding with Japan, I said ]
could see no basis for pursuing the
conversations further.
Welles made these comments
forcefully to Nomura and gave him
INV decision that our conversations
had come to an end.
From now on our major objective
with regard to Japan was TO give
ourselves more time to prepare our
defenseS.
Copyright, 194S, by North American
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