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"America may acquire the Philippine Islands, Asiatic territory 6,000 miles away from her shores, but when Japan takes control of Korea, a country smaller in territory than the Philippines and only 100 miles away from her island borders, the action is denounced. . . . But in fact we, being Asiatics, are far more capable of dealing with other Asiatics in their best interests than are Americans or Europeans. For example, in bringing order out of chaos in Korea we killed far fewer people than the Americans killed in suppressing the independence movement in the Philippines. . . ."
As Sir John Simon soothingly assured the House of Commons that Japan had virtually withdrawn her claims in regard to China, Secretary Hull made public the "substance" of a statement he had instructed Ambassador Grew to deliver to the Japanese Foreign Office. Politely but forcefully it warned Japan against trying to establish hegemony in the Far East by stubbing other people's toes. The warning: ". . . No nation can, without the assent of other nations concerned, rightfully endeavor to make conclusive its will in a situation where there are involved the rights, the obligations and the legitimate interests of other sovereign states." When on May Day the Japanese Government finally published the Hirota note in Japan, it pointedly ignored Secretary Hull's declaration.