Cablegram 177 20 September 1940,
PERSONAL FOR CASEY MOST SECRET
Your conversations with Secretary of State [1] seem to us to be accomplishing one of their objectives of keeping Japanese guessing. I have had two visits from Consul General Japan [2] during last week especially for purpose of endeavouring to ascertain extent and nature of conversations.
He emphasises they are most disturbing and appear directed against Japan. Naturally I have been completely non-committal, and it is obvious his mind is most perturbed.
HODGSON
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1 Cordell Hull. See Document 122.
2 Masatoshi Akiyama.
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[AA:A981, JAPAN 177, i]