Some American newspapers are said to have recently carried reports conjecturing that Japan is becoming indifferent toward the Tripartite Pact. The Foreign Minister stated in this connection that there is no question whatever as to the fact that the Pact constitutes the immutable basis of Japan's foreign policy, and that he could hardly believe the American authorities to be entertaining such a misunderstanding. If there were any misunderstanding of that sort, he continued, it was an absurd misconception and that if such erroneous views were current in America, he could not but ascribe it to misleading information spread wilfully. Considering that it would not be entirely useless to clarify Japan's position on this point, he said as follows :
1. Japan's fundamental policy has for a long time been firmly established and has undergone no change whatever.
2. Since the conclusion on September 27, last, of the Tripartite Pact, Japan's foreign policy has consistently been conducted with this Pact as its pivot. This should be clear to all from the statements on various occasions by Prime Minister Prince Konoe and myself as well as from the subsequent development of Japan's policy. There has, of course, been not the slightest deflection from this course of policy.
3. It is, therefore, absolutely impossible to imagine that Japan should fail in the slightest degree to carry out faithfully her obligations under the Tripartite Pact.
4. As has frequently been affirmed, Japan's policy toward the South Seas is peaceful. Should, however, untoward international developments render the execution of such policy impossible, it is a possibility that Japan may have to reconsider her attitude in the light of the changed situation.