Memorandum S4011 LONDON, 19 June 1937
CONFIDENTIAL
PACIFIC RELATIONS
In continuation of S.3987 [1], the print forwarded to you by the Dominions Office this week contains a record of an interview on 7th June between the Secretary of State [2] and the Japanese Ambassador [3] on the subject of the proposed Pacific Pact. [4]The Ambassador said that he thought his Government would have no objection in principle to such a pact but that they might regard its negotiation as a little premature at this time. The first necessity, in his judgement, was to seek to improve relations with other Powers in the Pacific, and more especially with the United Kingdom Government. From such an improvement a Pacific Pact would flow naturally.
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1 Not printed. It related to the proposal by U.S. Presidential adviser Norman Davis for the neutralisation of the Pacific, and not to the Australian proposal for a Pacific Pact.
2 Anthony Eden.
3 Shigeru Yoshida.
4 For a record of the interview see Document 41.
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[AA : A981, PACIFIC 23]