Evening star., 1948-02-20
Memoirs Of CordeH Hull
The Memoirs Of CordeLI Hull
Repeated Warnings Of Likely Jap Attack Given
Army and Navy Chiefs in November, al by Hull
CHAPTER XIII.


CHAPTER XIII.
Little good as we had had to ex.
pect from the Konoe cabinet. We
had even less to expect from the
cabinet headed by Premier Gen
Hideki TOTO after October II. TOTO
who had been Minister Of War
continues even as Premier to bs
an active army ofncer. He was
Ia typical Japanese otdcer, with .
smallbore, straight-laced, one-tracl
mind. He was stubborn and self.
willed, rather stupid, hard working
and possessed q quantity Of drive
The new Foreign Minister, Shi'
genori Togo, was q typical japanese
Foreign once ofhcial, a good tech
nician In his craft but also rather
narrow in his views and unable
to gain broad perspective.
At the same time began to note
a sense Of urgency In Tojo's and
Toeo's attitude toward our con-
versations. Konoe had pressed us
to move rapidly in accepting his
terms, but one Of his purposes had
been to continue himself in ONCE
with the help Of an agreement
with us. .t
Toio wanted something done
quickly, but it was apparent that
his purpose was different from Ko-
noes. II an agreement were not
reached, he was prepared. be-
lieved, to take action that would
mean war.
Message Intercepted.
This sense of urgency, this al
most frantic effort to push us INTO
an agreement that would give Tokyo
all 1t wanted, continued up to Pearl
Harbor. We noted 1t a few days
after TOTO came to power when
the translation Of an intercepted
message from Togo to Ambassador
Nomura dated October 21 came to
my desk. It said, in part:
"Our country has said practically
all she can say in the way OF ex-
pressing Of opinions and setting
forth our stand. We feel that we
have now reached a point where
no further positive action can be
taken by us except to urge the
United States to reconsider her
views. - We urge. therefore,
that, choosing an opportune mo-
ment, either you or Wakasugi
counselor of the Japanese EN-
bassy) let it be known to the United
States by indirection that our coun-
try is not in a position to spend
much more time discussing this
matter"
The impression of urgency on the
part of the TOTO government con-
tinued to heighten. Foreign Minis
ter Togo on November instructed
Saburo Kurusu, former Japanese
Ambassador to Germany, to come
to Washington ostensibly to assist
Nomura in his conversations with
me.
On the same day Ambassador
Grew cabled me his opinion that
Japan might make a door die at
tempt, If our conversations failed
actually risking national hara-kiri
Deadline Noted in Message:
For the first time we now saw q
deadline stated in the intercepts
In a message to Nomura on Novem-
ber 5, Togo said: Because Of vari-
Gus circumstances, it is absolutely
necessary that all arrangements for
the signing of this agreement be
completed by the 25th of this month
I realize that this Is a difficult order
but under the circumstances 1t Is ar
unavoidable one Please understand
this thoroughly and tackle the prob
lem OF saving the Japanese United
States relations from falling into q
chaotic condition"
This, to us, could mean only one
thing. Japan had already set in
motion the wheels Of her war ma
chine, and she had decided not to
stop short Of war with the United
States If by November Is we had not
agreed to her demands.
On November Z, I therefore de-
11FC1Cu dI q 1CSO4dA CdUl1lCC AACCt4IlS
q solemn warning Of the dangers
ahead. At this somber meeting the
Far Eastern situation occupied the
minds of all of us. The President
customarily opened the cabinet ses-
sion by discussing situation himself
and then turning to the appropriate
cabinet officer for additional COM
ment, Or by asking the cabinet men,
ber to give his estimate. On this
occasion he turned directly to me
and asked whether had anything
in mind.
then spoke for about Is minutes
and pointed out the dangers in the
international situation as whole
went fully over the developments
in our conversations with the JAP
anese.
I'm my opinion" I concluded, ere
lations are extremely critical. We