soc.history.war.world-war-ii

"YMC" wrote in message
news:47b1495e$0$8437$afc38c87@...

> Did the Japanese Govt attempt to negotiate with the British, Dutch and
> French for greater access to the raw materials in their Asian colonies?

Yes. I presume you mean in the 1940 and 1941 time period.
They were swimming against the tide of course.

The multi volume set

The "Magic" background of Pearl Harbor

even reproduces many of the Japanese diplomatic messages.
It is remarkable to modern eyes how much trade went through
the government structures rather than company to company.

There are not many to the British but a large number on the
occupation of Indo China (basic theme we want to be invited,
otherwise we will invade, followed by this is the bill for our
army looking after the area). There are also messages dealing
with the Dutch East Indies, mainly that the Dutch are following
the allied line and there is no real hope for a breakthrough, same
for the authorities in the Philippines.

One aside was the Japanese embassy to France pleading for
food, they were having a hard time obtaining enough. Another
protracted series of messages covers the problems over the
freezing orders when it came to keeping embassies open.
With monies frozen they could not pay their bills, phone etc.
companies cut off delinquent customers.

> IIRC, one reason for the Japanese to move South was to obtain oil from the
> Dutch who had oil fields in Borneo and Indonesia (?) correct me if I'm
> wrong.

Dutch East Indies (= Indonesia) and British Borneo.

Geoffrey Sinclair
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