Cablegram 141 LONDON, 22, November 1937, 6.00 p.m.
Sino-Japanese Dispute.
With reference to telegrams No. 138 and 139 [1] the United States Government have expressed themselves as being willing to join in the offer of good offices to China and Japan. His Britannic Majesty’s Ambassador in Tokyo [2] is convinced as a result of further enquiries he has made there that such an offer would in present circumstances be premature. The State Department, in the light of information it has received shares this view. It is apparently still the hope of the Japanese Government that it will be able to compel China to negotiate direct and under the present conditions it would accept the good offices of Britain and America only insofar as they would contribute to this end.
HOOD
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1 Documents 107, 108.
2 Sir Robert Craigie.
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[AA : A981, CHINA 116]