| Show W ff f Story From a Diplomat e f fOne One One Day Before a War l i i I Correspondent Presents Washington ington Diary r 1 t Telling of Last Interview With Peace Envoy Before Wars War's Beginning tT f r By BAUKHAGE National Farm and Home Hour flour Commentator Service 1343 1313 U H Street W N-W Washington D. D C. C Here In Washington where we feel fee the repercussions of the war more deeply than anywhere In the coun coun- country country country try except coast cities where enemy planes threaten and even the thoughts we had last week seem very far away To me an nn even greater gulf seems to exist between Friday and Satur Satur- Saturday Saturday Saturday day between peacetime and war war- time On Saturday December 5 I sat In the drawing ing room of the Japa- Japa Japanese Japanese Japanese nese embassy talking with the em em- embassy's embassy's bassy's first secretary His card which he gave me as I left it on the desk as I write Tera Tera- saki first secretary of the Japa Japa- Japanese Japanese nese embassy Washington the en en- engraved engraved engraved graved script reads With us was Saburo Kurusu theman the theman theman man who was supposed to be plan plan- planning planning planning ning a peaceful settlement of Japa Japa- nese-American nese relations at the very moment when Japanese bombers and battleships were already on their way WilY to Pearl Harbor I did not know it then but I was WilS the last American reporter perhaps the only one to one to Interview him Washington Diary The next afternoon just as I was starting out to take a walk In Rock Creek park the news of the astounding astound astound- astounding astoundIng ing attack on Hawaii reached me From then on radio and news re re- reporters reporters re- re reporters porters have been pretty busy But ButI I took time timeout out to Jot down the events of Saturday that were a trag trag- tragically tragIcally tragically stupid prelude to war I am now offering this record In part as asa asa a sort of Washington Diary Diary Saturday December 6 Spent the whole day preparing for a special Far Eastern broadcast a up pick-up of ofFar ofFar ofFar Far Eastern capitals London and Washington Went first to call on X x whom I knew would be In in- Informed formed ormed as well as anyone anone on the negotiations We sat in his bis beautiful beautiful ful library The ancient books the mellow leathered chairs all gave the place an atmosphere of dignity and solidarity that seemed far away from the little Saturday afternoon world Mr X suggested two phrases of which I made mental note First Kurusu is still here bere The second The center of gravity has bas shifted from the state depart depart- department department ment to the navy department Since Kurusu was still here it was WilS explained the situation had bad not changed But the next move was decidedly Japans Japan's the state depart department ment meat had probably said its last word Mr X was of the opinion that It was still possible that some I I I saving face-saving method would be worked out to permit the military element to accede to our demands and thus keep Japan from committing sui cide His impression was that noth noth- nothing nothIng nothing ing would happen before Tuesday when hen he thought Kurusu would hand Secretary Se Hull Japans Japan's answer to the state departments department's note Next Stop The Stop The Embassy As I was leaving a memorandum was handed in saying that Kurusu would receive me at the Japanese embassy immediately I had been trying very hard to get that ap ap- appointment appointment ap- ap appointment and after two days' days ne ne- negotiating negotiating ne- ne negotiating my assistant had bad finally succeeded I was first shown through the busy chancery of the Japanese embassy to the office of First Secretary Tera Tera- saki a smiling little brown man with eyes that came as near to slanting as any orientals oriental's do He warned me that I could not quote Mr J Kurusu nor was I to mention my visit at all for a week or so as asther others ther would demand Interviews said he would give me some background When we were settled he told me mea a sort of parable He said Suppose a man has been fighting for four days and four nights in inthe inthe the street Another man who has been sitting In his comfortable chair every evening wants to do some some- thing Should man In arm chair come to fighting man and talk about principles about Confucius and Aristotle He paused a moment and stared at me steadily with brown eyes that looked loed as solid as bullets No I think he went on man manIn In armchair should approach man who Is fighting with tact and sym sym- sympathy sympathy pathy He paused again to see how I 1 Iwas Iwas was taking It I dropped my eyes to the notes I was making and he be seemed satisfied He concluded Japan has been fighting four years Must talk blk facts must be realistic and talk principles afterward Chinese Duplicity Argument There was WilS more of the often heard often heard argument about Chinese duplicity If United States wants war It Itcan itcan can have war If it wants peace I can have peace And Japan can I be much more than a friend to America You can beat us In the end but It will be no push He was WilS friendliness itself Hav Hav- Having Having Having ing spoken his piece he made a tele tele- telephone telephone telephone phone call and led me from the chancery Into the embassy which It adjoins I was impressed as I was the first time I walked down the long reception hall with the delicate beauty of the setting The price prIce- priceless prIceless priceless less paintings on the walls with their weird and elusive charm of oriental art the graceful furniture the gentle blending of tints in wall decorations decora and wainscoting This room Is too large for con con- conversation conversation conversation said Mr Indi indi- Indicating indicating indicating cating the main reception room So he ic took me to a smaller one and I I we sat down for a moment Almost immediately will Good Ambassador dor Kurusu appeared a little man dressed In an expensive tweed suit He e had a small cropped close-cropped mus mus- mustache mustache tache and wore spectacles His face was long and under a hurried glance he ic might pass as an American bowed low from the hips but Kurusu took my hand in- in informally informally formally when I was presented opened the conversation by saying that I had said as long longas as Kurusu was still here no news was good news Kurusu either mis mis- misunderstood misunderstood misunderstood understood or chose to ig ig- ignore nore nere his remark We sat down and Kurusu repeated In less formal phraseology the general argument which had offered Kurusu Presents Japans Japan's Case The two nations could agree on principles with lengthy and leisurely discussion discussion but but now an emergency existed Japan was in a position where she was forced to take certain certain certain tain steps for her survival The United States would have to agree to o the discussion of realistic issues first and leave the principles to later discussion Unless that happened no progress could be made macle Of course we are hopeful he said rather hopelessly I thought On the whole his attitude seemed to confirm what Mr X had said that Japanese-American Japanese relations were vere in status quo that quo that Japan was playing for time When I left I made a remark to the effect that I was glad to see Ambassador Kurusu had provided himself with a heavy suit that evi evI- evidently evIdently evidently dently he was prepared to stay all aU winter vinter winte At that remark he saw fit to laugh heartily As I went out through the chan chan- chancery chancery cery escorted by one of the idol idol- faced clerks I 1 asked If they were always as busy as that on a Satur Satur- Saturday Saturday Saturday day afternoon Oh no he be answered only these days That concludes my diary for December 6 As I read it over In the light of what happened within less than 24 hours jours after I rode away from the Japanese embassy in a cab which had nad just brought one of the staff to Lo the door with luggage and golf bags some of the words spoken there took on a new meaning I had a up close-up of one phase of what Is probably the worlds world's great great great- est achievement in diplomatic du du- du- du Mr Kurusu I believe has not been available for interviews since In Jones county Mississippi 60 farmers needed The They pitched in together bought 60 mules in one lot at a nice price To save savea savea a a little more money the farmers all of them borrowers from the de de- department department of agriculture went one step farther put in a operative co-operative order for plow gear Their county purchasing association sponsored by the Farm Security administration tion bought 60 complete sets of harness from a local dealer assem assem- assembled assembled assembled bled them at the mule barn Sav Sav- Savings Savings ings tugs on this deal ran into The mule dealer fitted the gear on the animals at no extra cost assured perfect harness fittings |
