The Avalon Project Japan.N

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The Avalon Project : Japanese Note to

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Japanese Note to the United States United States December 7, 19{1

(Generally referred to as the "Fourteen Part Message.")(Dept. ofState Bulletin, Vol. V, M. 129, Dec. 13, 1941)

On Nlovember 26 the Secretary of Stale handed to ihe Japanese representatives a document \ ritichstated the principles governing the policies ofihe Governmeni ofthe United States to\ard the situationin the Far Easl and setting oul suggestions for a comprehensive peaceful settJement covering the enlirePaciflc area.At 1 p-m. December 7 the Japanese Ambassador asked for an appointment for the Japanese

represenlatives to see the Secretary of State. The appointment was made for '1:45 p.m. The Japaneserepresenlatives arrived at lhe office of the Secretary of Slate at 2:05 p.m. They MEre received by theSecrelary at 2:20 p.m. The Japanese Ambassador handed to the Secretary of Slate what wasunderstood to be a reply lo the documenl handed to him the Secrelary of State on November 26.Secretary Hull carefully read the slatement presented by the Japanese represeniatives andimrnediately turned to the Japanese Ambassador and wilh the greatest indignation sald:I must say that in all my conversations wilh you [the Japanese Ambassador] during the last ninernonths I have never uttercd one v crd of untruth. This is borne out absolutely by the record. ln all my 50years of public service I have never seen a document that was more cro!ded with infamous falsehoodsand distodions - infamous falsehoods and distortions on a scale so huge that I never imagined unliltoday that any Governrnent on this planet was capable of uttering them.The text of the documenl handed by the Japanese Ambassador to the Secreiary of State al 2:20p.m., December 7 1941, reads as follovls:I\,4emorandum1. The gove.nmenl of Japan, prompted by a genuine desire to come io an amicable undeFtandingwith the Government of the United Siates in order that the two countries by their jcinl efforts maysecure the peace of the Paciflc Area and thereby contribute toltard the realization of \,orld peace,has continued negotiations with the utmost sincerity since April lasl with ihe Government of theUnited States regarding ihe adjustment and advancement of Japanese-American relations andthe stab lization of the Pacific Area.

The Japanese Government has the honor to state frankly its vie!4s concerning the claims theAmerican Government has persistently mainiained as well as the measure the United States andGreat Britain have taken toward Japan during these eight months.2. lt is the irnmutable policy of ihe Japanese Government to insure lhe stability of East Asia and topromote Mrcrld peace and thereby to enable all nations to find each its Rroper place in the !rld.

Ever since China Affair broke out owing to the failure on the part of China to comprehendJapan's true intentions, the Japanese Government has striven for the restoration of peace and ithas consistently exerted its best efforts !o prevent the e)dension of\4ar-like dislurbances. ltwasalso io that end that in September last year Japan concluded the Tripartite Pace with Germanyand ltaly.

Ho,rever, both lhe United States and Great Briiain have resorted to every possible measureto assist the Chungking regime so as to obstruct the establishment ofa general peace bet\,eenJapan and China, interfering with Japan's constructive endeavours to\,t"rd the stabilization of EastAsia. Exerting pressure on ihe Netherlands East lndies, or menacing French lndo-China, theyhave altempled to frustraie Japan's aspiration io ihe ideal of common prosperity in cooperationwith these regimes. Furthermore, \,,/hen Japan in accordance with its protocolwith France tookmeasures ofjoint defense of French lndo-China, both American and British Governments, willfullymisinterpreting it as a threat to their ovvn possessions, and inducing lhe Nbtherlands Governmentio followsuit, they enforced the assets freezing order, thus severing economic relations v'/ithJapan. While manifesting thus an obviously hostlle attitude, these countries have strengthenedtheir military preparaiions perfecting an encirclement ofJapan, and have brought about asituation $trich endangers the very existence of lhe Empire.I'levertheless, to facilitate a speedy settlement, the Premier of Japan proposed, in August last,

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The Avalon Project : Japanese Note to ...to meet the President of the United States for a discussion of important problems belu,een the twocountries covering the enlire Paciilc area. Fio\,r-.!r, the American Government, vvtlile accepting inprinciple the Japanese proposal, insisled that the meeting should take place after an agreementof view had beef reached on fundamental and essential questions.

3 Subsequently, on September 25th the Japanese covernment submitted a proposal based on theformula proposed by the American Government, taking fully into consideration past Amerjcanclaims and also incorporating Japanese view. Repeated discussions proved of no avail inproducing readlly an agreement of view The present cabinet, therefore, submitted a revisedproposal, moderating still further the Japanese claims regardjng the princ pal points of difficutty inthe negotiation and endeavoured strenuously to reach a settlement. But the AmericanGovernment, adhering steadfastly to its original asserlions, failed to display in the slightestdegree a spirit of conciliation. The negotiation made no progress.Therefore, the Japanese Government, with a view to doing its r]tmosl for averting a crisis inJapanese-American reiations, submitted on Mvember 20ih still another proposal in order 1oarrive at an equitable solution of the more essential and urgeni questlons nhlch, simplifying itsprevious proposal, stipulated the followng points:1. The Government of Japan and the United States undertake not io dispatch armed forcesinto any of the regions, excepting French lndo-China, in the Southeastern Asia and theSouthern Pacific area.2. Both Governments sha I cooperale with the viewlo securing the acquisition in theNletherlands East lndies of those goods and commodities of \rhich the lwo countries are inneed.3. Both Governmenls mutually undertake to restore commercial relations to those prevailingprior to the freezing of asseis.

The Government of the United States shall supply Japan ihe required quantity of oil.4. The Government of lhe U.ited States undertakes not to resod to rneasures and actionsprej!dicial to the endeavours for the restoFation of general peace bet\ /een Japan andChina.5 The Japanese Government undertakes to withdrawtroops nowstaiioned in French lndo-China upon either the resioraiion of peace bet!en Japan and China or establishment ofan equitable peace in the Pacific Area; and ii is prepared to remove the Japanese troops inthe southern part of French lndo China to the northern pad upon the conclusion of thepresent agreement.As regards China, the Japanese covernment, vlhile epressing its rladiness to accept theofler ofthe President of the United States to act as introd!cer' of peace betven Japan andChina as \ as previously suggested, asked for an undertaking on the part of the United States todo nothing prejudicial to the restoration of Sino-Japanese peace wien the two parties havecorr1lenced direcl negoliatronsThe Amerjcan Government not only rejected the above-mentioned new proposal, but madeknown its lnlenlion lo continue its aid to Chiang Kai:shek; and in spite of its suggestion mentionedabove, withdrewthe offer ofthe Presidenl to act as so-called 'introducer' of peace betv,een Japanand China, pleading that time was not yet ripe for it. Finally on November 26th, in an attitude toimpose upon the Japanese Government lhose principles it has persistently maintained, theAmerican Government made a proposaltotally ignoring Japanese claims, wtrich is a source ofprofound regret to the Japanese Government.

4. From the beginning of the presenl negotiation the Japanese Government has alw?ys maintainedan attitude of fairness and moderation, and did its best to reach a settlemenl, for wttich it made allpossible concessions often in spite of great difficulties. As for the China question whichconstilutes an important s!bject of the negoliation, the Japanese Government sho!4ed a mostconciliatory attitude As for the prlnciple of non-discrimination in international commerce,advocated by the American Govemment, the Japanese Government e)eressed its desire io seethe said principle applied throughout the uDrld, and declared thai along with the aciual practice ofthis principle in the uodd, the Japanese Government would endeavour to apply the same in thePacific area i.cluding China, and made ii clear that Japan had no intention of excluding fromChina economic activiiles of lhird pollers pursued on an equitable basis. Furthermore, as regardslhe question ofwithdrawing troops from French lndo-China, the Japanese Government evenvolunleered, as mentioned above, to carry out an immediate evacuation of troops from SouthernFrench lndo-China as a measure of easing the situalion.

It is presumed that lhe spirit of conciliaiion exhibited to ihe utmost degree by the JapaneseGovernrnent in all these matters is fully appreciated by the American covernment.On lhe olher hand, ihe American Govenment, al\rays holding fast io lheories in disregard ofrealities, and refusing to yield an inch on its impractical principles, cause undue delay in thenegotiation. lt is difficult to undersiand this attitude of the American Government and theJapanese Government desires to call lhe attenlion of the American Government especially to thefollowng points:

1 . The American Government advocates in the name of world peace those principlesfavorable to it and urges upon the Japanese Government the acceptance thereof. Thepeace ofihe \.\orld may be brought about only by discovering a mutually acceptableformula through recognition of the reality of the situation and mutual appreciation of oneanother's position. An attiiude such as ignores realities and impose (sic) one's selfish vie\isupon others vlill scarcely serue the purpose of facilitatinq the consummatlon of

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The Avalon Project : lapanese Note to ...negot alions

Of the various principles pui fo^,!ard by the American covernment as a basis of theJapanese-American Agreement, there are some witich the Japanese Government is readylo accept in principle, but in viewof the lvcrld's actual condition it seems only a ltopianideal on the part of the American Government to aternpt to force their immediate adoption.Again, the proposalto conclude a multilateral non-aggression pact betu,een Japan,United States, Great Britain, China, the Soviel Union, the Nletherlands and Thailand, whichis patterned after the oid concept of colleclive security, is far removed from the realities ofEast Asia.

2. The American proposal contained a stipulation which states -'Both Governments will agreethat no agreement, which either has conciuded with any third po\,@r or poM,ers, shallbeinterpreled by it in such a wEy as to conflict vlith the fundamental pu.pose of lhisagreement, ihe establishrnent and preservation of peace througho!l the Paciflc area.' lt ispresumed that the above provision has been proposed wilh a viewto reskain Japan fiomfulfilling its obligations under the Tripartite Pact $hen the United States pariicipates in the!r in Europe, and, as such, il cannol be accepted by the Japanese Government.The American Government, obsessed with iis own vie\6 and opinions, may be said tobe scheming for the eiension of lhe war. \Mile it seeks, on the one hand, to secure itsrear by stabilizing the Pacific Area, it is engaged, on the other hand, in aiding Great Britainand preparing 10 attack, in the name of self-defense, Germany and ltaly, tv,o Po\ars thatare striving to establish a new order in Europe. Such a policy is totally at variance with themany principles upon which the American Governmeni proposes to found the stabiliiy ofthe Pacific Area through peaceful means.

3. Whereas the American Governmenl, under the principles it rigidly upholds, objects to setfleinternational issues through milnary pressure, lt is exercising in conjunction with GreatBritain and other nations pressure by economic power. Recourse to such press!re as ameans of dealing Wth international relations should be condemned as it is at times moreinhumane that military pressure.4. lt is impossible not to reach the conclusion that the American Government desires tomaintain and strengthen, in coalition Wth Great Britain and oiher Powers, its dominantposition in has hitherto occupied not only in China but in other areas of East Asia. lt is afact of history that the countries of East Asia have for the past iws hundred years or morehave been compelled to observe the status quo under the Anglo- American policy ofimperialistic e&loitaiion and to sacrifice themselves to the prosperity of the two nations.The Japanese Government cannot tolerate ihe petpetuation of such a situation since itdirectly runs counter to Japan's fundamental policy to enable all nations to enjoy each itsproper place in the !a,orld.

The stipulation proposed by the American Governmeni relative to French lndo-China isa good exemplification of lhe above- mentioned American policy. Thus the six countries, -Japan, the United States, Great Britain, lhe Netherlands, China,, and Thailand, - exceptingFrance, should undertake among themselves to respect the territorial inlegrity andsovereignty of French lndo-China and equality of ireatment in trade and commerce M culdbe tantamount io placing that teritory under the joint guarantee of the covernments ofthose six countries. Apart from the fact that such a proposal totally ignores the posilion ofFrance, it is unacceptable to the Japanese Government in that s!ch an arrangementcannol but be considered as an e{ension to French lndo-China of a system similar to theNine Po\.r Treaty structure !,!hich is the chieffactor responsible for the presentp,edicame"t of East Asia5. All the items demanded of Japan by the Amerlcan Government regarding China such aswholesale evacuation of troops or unconditional application of the principle of non-discrimination in internaticnal commerce ignored the actual conditions of China, and arecalculated to destroy Japan's position as the stabilizjng factor of East Asia The atlitude ofthe American Government in demanding Japan not to support militarily, politically oreconomically any regime other than the regime at Chungking; disregarding thereby theexistence of the Nanking Government, shatlers the very basis of the present negotiationsThis demand of the American Government falling, as it does, in line with its above-

menlioned refusallo cease from aiding lhe Chungking regime, demonstrates clearly theintention of the American Government to obstruct the restoralion of norma relationsbetuen Japan and China and the return of peace to East Asia..(sic) ln brief, the Arnerican proposal contains certain acceptable items such as thoseconcerning commerce, including the conclusion of a kade agreement, mutual removal ofthe freezing restricilons and siabilizalion ofyen and doTlar exchange, orthe abolition ofextra-territorial rights in China. On the other hand, hoM,ever, the proposal in questionignores Japan's sacrifices in the four years of the China Affair, menaces the Empire'sexistence itself and disparages its honour and prestige. Therefore, vie\d in its entirety,ihe Japanese Government regreis it cannol accept the proposal as a basis of negotiation.

6. The Japanese Government, in its desire for an early conclusion of the negotiation,proposed simullaneous ly with the conclusion of the Japanese-American negotiation,agreements to be signed with Great Britain and other inlerested couniries. The proposalwas accepted by lhe American Governmenl. Flo\xever, since the Arnerican Government hasmade the proposal of November 26th as a result of frequent consultation with creat Britain,Australia, the Nletherlands and Chungking, and presumably by catering to the uishes of theChungking regime in the questions of China, it musl be concluded that all these countrieslaw,yale.edu/wwii/p3.asp 314


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The Avalon Project : Japanese Note to ...are al one with the United States in ignoring Japan's position.7. Obviously it is the intenlion of the American Government to conspire with Great Britain andothe. couniries to obstruct Japan's effort to\,!ard the establishment of peace through thecreation of a new order in East Asia, and especially to preserve Anglo'American riqhts andinterest by keeping Japan and China at wr. Th;s iniention has been revealed clearlyduring the course of the present negotiation.

Thus, the earnest hope of the Japanese Government to adjust Japanese-Americanrelations and to preserve and promote the peace of the Pacific through cooperation withthe American Government has finally been lost.The Japanese Government regrets to have to notify hereby the American Governmentthat in view of lhe attitude of the American Governmenl it cannot but consider that it is

impossible to reach an agreement through furlher negoiiations.December 7, 1941

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The Avalon Project Japan.N