Dear Lt. Condon,
You will remebmber that Mr. White's telegram to the Department on the subject of negotiations toward securing a declaration by Japan (3327, July 26, 11 P.M.) carried the suggestion that if it is decided to make a statement in the form ogf publishing the Hankey Memorandum it be left to the British to do the publishing.So far as I know, no word has been received from the Department as to what it is considering or what its intentions.The suggestion has been made to me by a Frenchman that in event of failure of the Japanese to make a statement, the substance of the Japanese assurances should be published by common and joint action of the American, the French and the British Governments. Whatever may be the value of that suggestion, I am firmly of the opinion that the publication should not be made by the American Government. Newspaper accounts from the United States make it appear that the President is contemplating publishing the assurances in question. I hope he will not do it.Should any question in this connection come up during my absence, my opinion rests as follows:
1. There are strong reasons for doubting the expediency of any declaration short of a declaration by Japan along the lines suggested in Mr. Lansing's draft.
2. If any other declaration is made, publish full text of all conferences which were held on the Shantung matter.
3. If the Hankey Memorandum is to be published, insist that the whole of it be opublished, and let the British do the publishing.
4. The American Government should not undertake to state independently what were the Japanese assurancews.
Yours faithfully,
Stanley K Hornbeck
