Exhibit 4



                      DEPARTMENT OF STATE
                            --------
                ADVISER ON POLITICAL RELATIONS

                                    December 16, 1941.

Mr. Secretary:
     We have arranged with Mr. Spaulding for him to
take charge of and set three of four men to work upon
compilation of documents in United States-Japanese
relations for the period September 18, 1931 to December 7,
1941.  Mr. Hamilton, Mr. Ballantine, Mr. Hiss and I will
keep in close touch with this work as it proceeds.
Mr. Ballantine will have special charge of the data
relating to the exploratory conversations of this year.

                                S.K.H.
                 Initialed for Hornbeck by Alger Hiss

                  Initials of Hornbeck and Ballantine
                           in the FEA stamp



                                  FILED
                               MAR 25 1942



PA/H:SKH:FLB