800.79611 Pangborn-Herndon Flight/20: Telegram The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Japan (Forbes) WASHINGTON, April 21, 1931-3 p. m. 65. Your 51, April 13. Department informed permission requested for Pangborn and Herndon flight over Japanese territory as emergency measure. Should plane or motor develop trouble pilots would attempt to reach Tokyo where service on motor available. Proposed route as follows: Moscow-Novo Sibirsk-Chita-Okhotsk-Nome. STIMSON 800.79611 Pangborn-Herndon Flight/34: Telegram The Chargé in Japan (Neville) to the Secretary of State TOKYO, June 11, 1931-noon. [Received June 11-8:05 a. m.] 80. Department's telegram No. 65, April 21, 3 p. m. Permission granted Pangborn-Herndon to make emergency landing or flight over Japanese territory if necessitated by unexpected circumstances subject to usual restrictions against flying over fortified zones or carrying firearms or cameras. If a forced landing is made on Japanese territory the matter must be reported nearest Japanese officials. Subsequent flights must be made only at direction of such officials. NEVILLE 800.79611 Pangborn-Herndon Flight/36: Telegram The Ambassador in Japan (Forbes) to the Acting Secretary of State TOKYO, August 10, 1931-5 p. m. [Received August 10-9:50 a. m.] 117. Embassy's telegram 80, June 11, noon. Herndon and Pangborn landed in Japan, August 7th, without permit after flying over several fortified zones taking moving pictures on the way. They have spent a very bad week end with the police but have not been actually arrested. The Embassy is using its good offices to mitigate official displeasure. Result uncertain as yet. FORBES 800.79611 Pangborn-Herndon Flight/44: Telegram The Ambassador in Japan (Forbes) to the Acting Secretary of State TOKYO, August 15, 1931-4 p. m. [Received August 15-6 a. m.] 122. I have just been informed that Pangborn and Herndon have been fined 2,050 yen each or 205 days in prison. No other penalty. FORBES 800.79611 Pangborn-Herndon Flight/45: Telegram The Ambassador in Japan (Forbes) to the Acting Secretary of State TOKYO, August 15, 1931-6 p. m. [Received August 15-5:40 a. m.] 123. Embassy's 122, August 15, 4 p. m. I should have stated that their camera and films were confiscated. 800.79611 Pangborn-Herndon Flight/50: Telegram FORBES The Acting Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Japan (Forbes) WASHINGTON, August 15, 1931-1 p. m. 135. Your 123, August 15, 6 p. m., and previous. 1. Inform Department whether question of Herndon and Pangborn's flying their plane from Japan has or has not been settled. 2. If this is still pending or if an adverse decision has been made, Department desires that you urge on authorities that, in the interest of good will and to avert criticism of press and public, they permit flight and, to encourage good will, give the flyers such assistance as may be possible. BUNDY 800.79611 Pangborn-Herndon Flight/51: Telegram The Ambassador in Japan (Forbes) to the Acting Secretary of State TOKYO, August 16, 1931-noon. [Received August 16--12:21 a. m.] 124. Department's telegram No. 135, August 15, 1 p. m. 1. The question of Herndon and Pangborn's permit to fly the Pacific has not been raised. It was considered advisable to delay this matter until the judicial proceedings were over so as not to confuse two separate issues in the public mind. The administrative authorities can now I understand proceed without judicial or police interference. 2. The Department's instructions will be carried out and every effort will be made to obtain the permit. The plane will require slight alterations to it to carry sufficient fuel to cross the Pacific and the Embassy will try to obtain permission for the flight by the time the alterations are completed. FORBES 800.79611 Pangborn-Herndon Flight/64: Telegram The Ambassador in Japan (Forbes) to the Acting Secretary of State TOKYO, August 23, 1931-3 p. m. [Received August 23-10:50 a. m.] 126. Department's 143, August 22, 3 p. m.1 1. Formal application for permit for Herndon and Pangborn to fly across the Pacific from Japan was made by the Embassy on August 17th. I have spoken to the Foreign Minister myself and other members of my staff by my direction have also urged upon the Vice Minister and bureau chiefs the necessity for speedy action. There is much opposition to permitting the flight on the part of some officials. I am informed that the Foreign Minister himself is now handling the matter and I hope to obtain a favorable answer soon. 2. The Embassy also requested the release of the plane by Customs on August 11 and was informed that under the law a guaranty in the nature of a bond for payment of duty would be required. Herndon was informed that the Embassy could not go bond for private individuals for the payment of money. Herndon has subsequently stated that Customs bond was being arranged privately. There has been some trouble about this as apparently the Customs did not like to accept the signature of only one person and there are no bonding companies here as we know them at home. FORBES 800.79611 Pangborn-Herndon Flight/84 Memorandum by Mr. Ransford S. Miller of the Division of Far Eastern Affairs of a Conversation With the Japanese Counselor of Embassy (Kato) [WASHINGTON,] August 25, 1931. Mr. Miller referred to the interest which had been created in the United States in the case of these American fliers and to the various press comments relating thereto. It was pointed out that, quite apart from the merits of the case, the effect upon the friendly relations between the United States and Japan of much of this comment was not 'Not printed. good; that the Department and the Japanese Embassy appeared to have a common interest in minimizing these undesirable effects upon the good relations between the two countries; that it had occurred to us to inquire whether the Embassy saw anything that it might do in this direction to supplement the efforts that were being made by the Department and by the Japanese Foreign Office; and that the question assumed additional importance from the fact that permission for the American fliers to resume their flight was now under discussion and a decision was still pending. Mr. Kato stated that he fully appreciated the point raised and that the Embassy would be glad to send a telegram to Tokyo along the line suggested. He stated that on the 21st he had received a telegram from his Government giving full details in the case, some points in which he felt the American public had not been fully and correctly informed about through the press reports. He reviewed the contents of this telegram, which did not, however, appear to add anything substantive to the information which the Department already had. He stated that he had not given this information to the press for the reason that by the time it was received a decision had been rendered and made public and he had considered the matter closed. He repeated that, in view of the later developments relating to the permit, the Embassy would telegraph the Foreign Office on the subject. 800.79611 Pangborn-Herndon Flight/116 Memorandum by the Under Secretary of State (Castle) [WASHINGTON,] August 27, 1931. The Japanese Ambassador came in to ask in general how things were going and in particular to find out from me whether it would be appropriate for the Emperor to bestow a decoration on Colonel Lindbergh. He spoke of the wild enthusiasm in Japan on the Colonel's arrival. He said that he hoped that we might be able to bring out to the press the fact that this enthusiasm was a real manifestation of Japan's friendship for this country and that the Lindbergh flight could be sharply differentiated from the Herndon-Pangborn. I told the Ambassador that so far as this latter flight was concerned, I had in no way blamed the Japanese Government for imposing fines on the two men, but that I felt a decision should promptly be reached as to whether they might continue their flight across the Pacific. I told him that the American people would understand the fines, since the aviators had manifestly broken Japanese law, but that the long detention 'Col. and Mrs. Charles A. Lindbergh were on a flight to Japan and China via Alaska. of their plane after the fines had been levied might well be considered in this country as unnecessary persecution. The Ambassador said he entirely agreed with this and that he would immediately communicate with his Government urging that the men be allowed to leave. He said that he was sure the Foreign Office must be in favor of letting them go and that probably the trouble came from other departments. W[ILLIAM] R. C[ASTLE, JR.] 800.79611 Pangborn-Herndon Flight/117 Memorandum by the Assistant Chief of the Division of Far Eastern Affairs (Hamilton) of a Conversation With the Japanese Counselor of Embassy (Kato) [WASHINGTON,] August 28, 1931. Mr. Kato telephoned and informed Mr. Hamilton that after Mr. Castle's talk with the Japanese Ambassador on August 27, the Ambassador had sent a further telegram to the Japanese Foreign Office requesting that favorable action be taken by the Japanese authorities in reference to the issuance of the permit to Messrs. Pangborn and Herndon to fly from Japan. Mr. Hamilton thanked Mr. Kato for this information and expressed appreciation of the action taken by the Japanese Embassy. M[AXWELL] M. H[AMILTON] 800.79611 Pangborn-Herndon Flight/88: Telegram The Ambassador in Japan (Forbes) to the Acting Secretary of State TOKYO, August 30, 1931-5 p. m. [Received August 30-9: 15 a. m.] 129. My telegram No. 128, August 27, 3 p. m.3 1. I had another opportunity the other evening to discuss the Herndon-Pangborn case with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, who suggested that I speak directly with the Minister of Communications who was also present. I explained to the latter that the case was receiving much public attention in the United States. He said that he realized it and that the Minister for Foreign Affairs had been urging him to come to a speedy decision. He said that he had to consult the Army and the Navy and that there were a number of legal points involved. One point was that a Japanese pilot who has been convicted of offenses against the aviation laws and regulations is as a matter of administrative practice deprived of his flying license for at least 3 months. There was some opposition of [to?] granting more favorable treatment to foreigners than to Japanese. I said that I hoped he would be able to come to a decision soon. He said that he would make every effort *Not printed. |
