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The gist of it was that the Japanese situation was extremely hazardous, that one thing that must be prevented if possible was Japan expanding their war, which of course had been going on a long time with the Chinese. Everything must be done to keep the surface friendship or friendliness with Japan. It was about this time, or a little earlier, that the President had asked us all to accept invitations from the Japanese Embassy. There had been apparently a disposition to be otherwise engaged when invited to the Japanese Embassy, partly because there were too many social engagements anyhow and you weren't too much interested, and partly a little edginess and uneasiness, not liking to accept their hospitality.

I remember this plainly now. Hull brought this up and said that this matter was giving concernt to the State Department. High officers of the government and their wives were not showing the same social relationships to the Japanese Embassy here as was thought desirable. He believed that we were making every effort to keep an even and a stable arrangement, to prevent any incidents that would lead to war. One of the things that we must be careful of was hurt feelings which, with people like the Japanese, might easily assume enormous proportions in their thinking and reasoning. Hull discussed the peculiar psychology of the Japanese with regard to social recognition, social demeanor, obligations, what