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Documents Relating to New Zealand's Participation in the Second World War 1939–45: Volume III

25 — The Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs to the acting Prime Minister of New Zealand

25
The Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs to the acting Prime Minister of New Zealand

5 July 1941

Circular telegram. My telegram of 25 June, Circular D. 373.3

Information from most secret … sources shows that the Japanese Government have now reached a decision upon future policy. Their first move will be to secure bases in Indo-China and this move may take place in the very near future. I shall hope to telegraph shortly our views as to the action which we should take.

2. His Majesty's Ambassador at Washington4 states that when discussing reports also received by the United States Government that the Japanese Government intend to move in the near future, Mr Welles5 informed His Majesty's Ambassador that in the event of Japan embarking on hostilities either north or south, the United States Government would immediately apply all the urgent pressure that they could command. When asked what action the United States Government would take if, without resorting to hostilities, Japan denounced the neutrality pact with Russia, Mr Welles said that it would depend on circumstances whether the United States Government would let the Japanese know confidentially that they would apply economic pressure in the event of the Japanese resorting to hostilities or whether the United States Government would immediately apply such pressure. They would certainly do one or the other.

3 Not published. In a brief comment on the likely attitude of the Japanese Government towards the German invasion of Russia a few days earlier, Sir Robert Craigie predicted that the Japanese would remain neutral in the meantime.

4 Rt. Hon. the Earl of Halifax, KG, PC, OM, GCSI, GCIE (at this date Viscount Halifax); British Ambassador at Washington, 1941–46; succeeded Lord Lothian, who died at Washington on 12 Dec 1940.

5 Mr Sumner Welles, Under-Secretary of State of United States of America, 1937–43.