Secretary of State Cordell Hull received this message from Japanese Ambassador Hiroshi Saito after the Navy notified Japan that their search for Amelia Earhart and her navigator Fred J. Noonan had ended. The United States had conveyed appreciation to the Japanese Navy Department for their assistance in the search.
Just days after Earhart was last heard from near her destination of Howland Island in the Pacific Ocean, Tokyo had offered assistance. Since U.S. Navy ships were days away from reaching a spot about 200 miles north of Howland Island where the downed plane might be (according to a clue they had received), they asked if Japan had any vessels that could reach the spot earlier. The Japanese Government radioed an appeal to all Japanese vessels in the South Seas to join U.S. naval vessels in the search for Earhart. Japanese radio stations were ordered to be on continuous watch for Earhart signals; and Japanese fishing craft were instructed to be on lookout.
On July 18th the Navy announced it was giving up the hunt for Earhart. The search had encompassed more than 250,000 square miles in every direction from Howland Island; they believed they had exhausted every possible hope of finding Earhart and Noonan.
