Tokyo, the 11th March, 1941.
Monsieur le Ministre,
By the letter under today's date, Your Excellency was good enough to inform me as follows :
[text of the Japanese letter]
I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of the above letter and to inform Your Excellency that the Government of France are disposed, under the present situation, to accede to the instance of the Japanese Government, although they are not obliged to renounce the benefits of their treaties freely negotiated and concluded with the Government of Thailand, either from the standpoint of the local situation or from that of the fortune of arms. The Government of France, being constantly solicitous of the maintenance of peace of Greater East Asia, have never taken initiative of such a nature as of disturbing that peace, but testify to their fidelity to the basic spirit which inspired the agreement of August 30, 1940, by accepting the Mediation Plan presented on separate sheet. On the basis of that spirit and being desirous of avoiding all kinds of engagement which will involve their possessions in the Far East in a conflict between third Powers, the Government of France hereby declare that they have no intention of entering into any agreement or understanding with a third Power or Powers regarding French Indo-China envisaging political, economic or military co-operation aimed either directly or indirectly against Japan. Moreover, it is expected by the Government of France that the Government of Japan will assure the strict observance of the agreement of the 30th of August, 1940, and the subsequent military arrangements.
I avail myself of this opportunity to renew to Your Excellency the assurance of my highest consideration.