Cablegram 135 TOKYO, 14 March 1941, 6.40 p.m.
SECRET
I paid a visit to the Minister for Foreign Affairs on the evening of 12th March at his private house immediately before his departure for Europe and emphasised the earnestness of Great Britain and the Dominions in the war, our determination and our strength. I expressed to him my belief that he would be subjected in Berlin to great pressure and possibly to deceit to induce him to agree to action which would not be to the ultimate benefit of Japan and might threaten the peace of the Pacific.
Mr. Matsuoka emphasised at length his determination not to agree to any such proposal and that the object of his journey was to make personal contact with the men with whom he was working, and to explain to them his plan for securing peace in the world. Full report of the interview in next bag. [1]
_1 See Latham’s letter S-33 of 13 March on file AA:A816, 19/304/313.
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[AA:A981, GERMANY 57]