Evening star., 1948-02-22
- - II
lEx-Envoy Nomura,
|Homesick for U. s.,
Recalls Facing Hull
by koy roik
North American Newspaper AIIianes

North American Newspaper Alliance
TOKYO, Feb. IA. CBy AirmaiD =
Admiral Kichisaburo Nomura, Jap.
anese ambassador to Washington al
the time of Pearl Harbor, is home.
sick for America.
I had long chat with the ad.
miral today on the edges of Tokyo
where his home is surrounded BY
the gardens of American officers
not much unlike suburban Wash.
ington. He was as talkative anC
confident of himself as he had beer
back in 1941.
He reaffirmed his stand that he
was the worst-informed ambassador
in history and that he knew more
about American conditions than
about Japanese intentions.
I showed him advance copies OF
former Secretary of State Cordell
Hulls memoirs, and he was pleased
with Mr.. Hull's appraisal of his
pre-Pearl Harbor behavior.
Strong, But Not Insulting.
Asked whether Mr.. Hull had
"cussed him out" when he delivered
the declaration of war on December
7, he said: Mr.. Hull's words were
very strong. but not insulting. He
was angry during the last stages OF
the negotiations, but that is quite
natural. You see, Mr.. Hull was
very strong-minded and he had
some very definite opinions. Pres
ident Roosevelt also was very friend
ly towards me. But he, too, was a
very stubborn man.
mfr. Hull always told me we have
nothing to give up. If Japan gives
up her policy, Japan will be much
happier
Both of them knew more about
the Japanese situation than I did.
Most of mR information came from
the (Tokyo) dispatches of (Otto)
Tolischus in the New York Times.
1 did not know what was going on.
I was quite in the dark. I certainly
did not expect war. When the dead
line was set, I rather supposed Jap
an would march into Thailand."
When he came back to Japan and
read excerpts from the Pearl Har-
Dor investigation, he said, he was
naturally f1abbergasted to learn
Japan's diplomatic code had been
broken.
HulI's Account Quoted.
I asked Nomura what was going
on in his mind during the scene
which Mr.. Hull described as fol-
lows:
"Nomura seemed about to say
something. His face was impassive,
but I felt he was under great emo
tional strain. I stopped him with
a motion of my hand. I nodded
toward the door. The ambassadors
turned without word and walked
out, their heads down"
The admiral answered that not
until the complete message from
Tokyo was decoded and ready for
delivery that Sunday afternoon did
he know the nature of the note.
IT thought that this was going to
be break of diplomatic relations
and that I was to leave my staff
in Washington and return to Tokyo
and that Ambassador (Joseph c.
Grew was to do the same.
THAT is what I wanted to say.
But the words never came
Shows Letters From Americans.
Mrs. Nomura brought in some cof-
fee, sugar and canned cream, and
the conversation for while turned
to the admiralsc American friends.
He dug out some letters he had re-
ceived from them There was one
from w. r. Castle, American am
to Tokyo before Mr.. Grew,
and another from Admiral William
v. Pratt, former chief Of naval op-
erations. -,.
Nomura was very proud Of his
mail. Regardless of war;" he said,
they are still my good friends. I
would like to see these acquaint-
ances again" And he gave out with
one of his frequent chuckles which
ring sincere and tinge all his con-
versation with friendliness.
The coffee, the sugar, canned
cheese and butter were presents
from Americans who visited him, he
added. He chuckled again and con-
tinued, Il am 10 years old now
two years older than your soap
sGen. MacArthur)-but not SO well
fed"
Nomura got up. walked to the
window and looked out on his lit
tie garden. He had planted Chi
nese cabbage and radishes where
flowers once grew. He Is tall and
broad shouldered-very m-Japa-
nese in appearance. At home he
always wears long underwear and
a layer Of kimonos. Sometimes one
can see the former ambassador on
the Gina or in the Imperial Plaza,