Konoye Outlined Plan To Adjust Jap.-U.S. Relations

Northern Advocate, 19 December 1945, Page 3

Konoye Outlined Plan To Adjust Jap.-U.S. Relations

(Rec. 3.0 p.m.) A pre-Pearl Harbour plan to adjust relations between Japan and America is revealed in the memoirs of Prince Konoye, who committed suicide this week, and now in the possession of the United States War Crimes prosecutor. It is uncertain when these memoirs were written, but they include details of private and unofficial talks between Japan and America during the second and third Konoye Cabinets, and to within. seven weeks of the Pearl Harbour attack.

TOKIO, Dec. 18. Mr Roosevelt and Mr Hull both, knew of these talks according to Prince Konoye, and Mr Hull later took part in a plan which emerged from the talks. Prince Konoye described the programme as being based on an American promise to help to obtain Chungking’s agreement to peace in China. ' It was proposed that the settlement of the China hostilities was vital for Japan and Japanese and American rapprochement. INDEPENDENCE FOR CHINA Under the plan China would be guaranteed independence. Japan would withdraw her troops without annexation of territory and without reparations, and the open-door policy would be revived. Chiang Kai-shek and the puppet regimes would be united. The memoirs added that neither the United States nor Japan was in a position to threaten each other and a formal exchange of visits of the fleets was proposed to celebrate peace in the Pacific. Prince Konoye recounted that when Matsuoka returned from Europe on April 22, 1941, he met him at the airport, intending to present the important plan at the psychological moment, but Matsuoka was in a bad mood and assumed an attitude of disinterest. The same night Matsuoka waxed loud and fiery on his visit to Europe and when the problem shifted to the American plan he stressed Germany’s trust of Japan under the Tripartite Pact. Matsuoka said the American plan was 70 per cent, evilwill and 30 per cent, goodwill. Matsuoka stalled, but went as far as revising the plan, which was accepted by Cabinet. Matsuoka sent the chief of the Japanese European and Asiatic Diplomatic Bureau to inform the German and Italian Ambassadors, as an absolute secret, that Japan had received a secret proposal for adjustment of diplomatic relations. MATSUOKA’S OPINION Matsuoka then went to the Emperor and said that if America entered the European war Japan must stand with Germany and Italy and adjustment of Japanese-American relations would be in vain.

In any case, if Japan was going back on her trust with Germany and Italy by too much concentration on the American question, he must ask to be allowed to resign.

Prince Konoye says the long-delayed evasions, when submitted to Mr Hull, did not set well with him. Friction between Cabinet and Matsuoka inincreased and even the Emperor is reported to have inquired about the possibility of his removal, but he remained adamant in his attitude towards America.

, »i wondered if Matsuoka had made an important promise while he was in Germany,” said Prince Konoye. “The high hopes which the Japanese leaders held for a successful understanding with the United States then began to fail.”