Historical documents
409 Mr R. G. Casey, Minister to the United States, to Department of External Affairs
Cablegram 129 WASHINGTON, 19 June 1940, 7.39 p.m.
SECRET
You will no doubt have heard from London of report dated 19th June
from the British Ambassador at Tokyo regarding statement of
Japanese Director of Military Intelligence to the British Military
Attache to the effect that unless British cease assistance to
Chinese Government, Japanese forces will seize Indo-China,
Netherlands East Indies and Hong Kong. [1] Statement [ended] [2]
with inference that Japanese fighting forces were the real
Government and not Foreign Office.
State Department has had cable from American Ambassador at Tokyo
[3] saying he had just seen Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs
[4] regarding above and that he advised military statement was not
to be taken seriously, but that Japanese Foreign Office were
considering question of military supplies reaching Chinese forces
from south and would shortly make representations, but on
different lines. [5]
CASEY
[FA: A3195, 1.4474]