bout de papier, Vol. 28, No. 3 (2014) — Winter 2014–15 // Hiver 2014-2015, pp. 31–32
While their colleagues in northwestern Europe had fled their missions ahead of the advancing forces of Nazi Germany, often in harrowing and difficult circumstances and with little opportunity to prepare for their departure, the experience of the Canadian Legation and other Allied missions in Japan was quite different. The Japanese attacks on Pearl Harbor, Hong Kong and Singapore had prompted nearly immediate declarations of war by Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and other Allies with a diplomatic presence in Tokyo. As the account below by the Canadian Chargé d’Affaires, D’Arcy McGreer, indicates, the internment of enemy diplomats in Japan was a more orderly and less dangerous process, though there was still no doubt that the diplomatic function of these foreign representatives had come to an end and they were certainly kept in the dark about what was happening in the outside world. McGreer’s account jibes well with that of the American Ambassador’s private secretary, Robert Fearey, in his memoirs. As those same recollections stress, however, the experience of foreign journalists, who were kept in solitary confinement and tortured as presumed espionage agents, was very different.
This document may be found at Library and Archives Canada in the records of the Department of External Affairs (RG25), Volume 2932, file 2864-40. There is a brief account of this episode and the experience of Canadian representatives in Europe in John Hilliker, Canada’s Department of External Affairs, Volume |, The Early Years, 1909-1946 (Montreal & Kingston: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 1990), 226-8, 251-2.
[Edgar D’Arcy McGreer, Chargé d’Affaires, Canadian Legation, Tokyo, 1939-48]
Report on Treatment of Legation Staff in Tokyo and Allied Matters Covering
the Period December 8th, 1941 – June 17th, 1942. [20 August 1942]
1. On December 8th I awakened at 7.30 and learned that the news of the outbreak of war between Japan and the Allies had been broadcast early in the morning over Japanese net-works. At 10.15 a.m. Mr. Koichiro Asakai Chief of the Fifth Section of the Foreign Office (the Section dealing with Research and Enquiry) arrived, accompanied by twelve plain-clothes men. I received him in my office and he handed me a copy of the declaration of war, after which he proceeded to explain our future status, which was to be as follows: – 1.- We were no longer a diplomatic mission. &. All members of the staff must move in immediately to the Legation.
6. The gates of the Legation compound must be closed and nobody permitted to leave without authorization.
4. All short wave radios were to be turned in.
The radios were immediately taken and the premises thoroughly searched (with my permission) by the persons accompanying Mr. Asakai.
2. Telephone wires were cut immediately and direct communication established with the Foreign Office. A room was set aside in the Chancery for the gendarmerie and the Foreign Office Liaison Officer, Mr. M. Yochizawa, who looked after us during the whole period of our incarceration. He was most helpful and considerate until about the beginning of May, when his attitude towards us changed, but not without cause.
5. For the first week or so the police patrolled not only the two outside entrances of the compound but also inside the walls as well, but later this control was stopped and for the last four months there were no police on regular patrol duty in the Legation Compound.
4. Protecting Powers. Within the fortnight proceeding the declaration of war, I had called on Mr. Villa, the Chargé d’Affaires for the Argentine Republic and had given him in addition to information in writing, a complete picture orally, covering Canadian interests in Japan. Our relations with Mr. Villa were extremely friendly but with the very small staff at his disposal and with little realization of what the protection of so many powers involved, he did not have the opportunity of visiting us as often as we would have wished. For example, during the month of March he was only able to come twice to see us. He was very much overworked, his health was not of the best, so that it did not come as a surprise to us when on May 14th our interests were taken over by the Swiss Legation. Thereafter, until our departure from Japan on June 17th, Mr. Gorgé [Swiss Minister to Japan] and his staff did everything in their power to
help us.
. With regard to food supplies and material comforts, the
Liaison Officer helped out considerably, being able to procure for us many various things which were not only unavailable to the average Japanese but unprocurable to diplomatic colleagues as well. A large order of groceries placed by Mr. Stewart some months before the outbreak of war which arrived by the “Hikawa Maru”, was of great help in making our food supplies adequate up
to the time of our departure from Japan.
. As the heating plant of the legation residence is run by
oil and as we were only able to obtain a limited supply, the building was not heated throughout the winter, with the exception of Christmas Day. Repeated requests for a liberal fuel supply were stalled off, and although we had supplies occasionally, we preferred to use them for heating water for baths twice a week, rather than use them for heating purposes. The coal obtainable was of a most inferior quality, and the heating by fireplaces of rooms with very high ceiling would have been defective even with good coal.
Recreations and Diversions. Four motion pictures were shown by the Foreign Office at the Legation. Ironically enough the first shown was “Waikaki Wedding” on January 23rd. We were allowed out for occasional walks, short visits to the doctor and dentist, and I was permitted to continue my weekly visits to St. Luke’s Hospital for weekly treatment but in all cases every member of the staff when going out was accompanied by a gendarme. We were permitted to play golf once and once only, the idea being no doubt to say that we had been permitted to play golf during our stay in Japan. In a similar situation the United States Ambassador [Joseph Grew] declined to play [according to the account of Robert Fearey, Grew’s private secretary, the British Ambassador likewise declined the invitation to play golf out of a similar concern about
how the Japanese would publicize the outing].. News of world events was furnished by the Foreign
Office controlled newspaper, the “Japan Advertiser” and by what we might pick up occasionally through the Liaison Officer and the domestic staff. This was very meagre and biased and consequently our impressions of conditions in Japan during the period are unlikely to prove of much value. Complete isolation from other diplomatic missions continued up to the last and my requests to see Sir Robert Craigie [British Ambassador to Japan, 1937-41] and other diplomatic colleagues to say good-bye before our departure were not granted. We are allowed, however, to write letters in the next few
months to friends through the Swiss representatives.
9. Legation Property. When I learned that the Swiss Legation was looking for office and residential accommodation, I suggested through Mr. Villa that our office and residence be taken over by Mr. Gorgé, but this arrangement did not materialize. Mr. Gorgé subsequently endeavoured to use our office for his Chancery but the approval of the Foreign Office was not forthcoming. The best arrangement I could make before leaving and there was still doubt about it, was that Mr. Jacques Frey, one of the Swiss secretaries should live in the residence to supervise and check up on the three servants whom I had instructed to continue to reside in the residence, in order to keep the carpets, furniture and other property in good condition. Of the Legation property I have with me the Legation silver and an oil painting. The remaining property has been classified, inventories made and the protocol of transfer signed and delivered to Mr. Gorgé on June 16th.
10. Disposal of some Legation property. In view of possible destruction by air raids and general deterioration through the process of time of Government property, I endeavoured to dispose of all our typewriters before leaving but only one (a 20 inch Remington) was disposed of, the price being Yen 650. I likewise disposed of the Legation piano for the same reason, receiving Yen 5,000, which was Yen 500 above the official fixed price.
10. [sic] Legation Finances. As far back as July I deemed it advisable to have on hand an emergency fund and personally borrowed Yen 20,000 to meet any contingency. This, with other funds available from the disposal of property and belongings of various members of staff, permitted us not only to finance ourselves but to leave behind with the Swiss Legation an appreciable amount in yen for the benefit of Canadian interests in Japan. Details of our financial transactions are contained in a separate financial report which is herewith appended.
11. Gonclusions. Once we had accepted the fact that we were to be isolated and that we were no longer considered by the Japanese to be a diplomatic mission, it can be honestly said that our treatment was most considerate and that apart from the usual delays in getting things done in Japan, there was no real complaint to register against the Japanese authorities. We were shown every consideration and in this connection it may be of interest to note that on Christmas Eve, a large turkey, amply sufficient for seven people, was sent to Mrs. McGreer by the wife of the Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs.
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Originally published in bout de papier, Vol. 28, No. 3 (2014) — Winter 2014–15 // Hiver 2014-2015, pp. 31–32. Read the rest of this issue →
