894.60/2–2047
The Assistant Secretary of State (Hilldring) to the State–War–Navy Coordinating Committee
Subject: Draft Directive Regarding Assured Production Capacity Levels for Japan.
There is enclosed a draft directive prepared on the basis of a policy decision unanimously approved at the forty-sixth meeting of the Far Eastern Commission on February 20, 1947, under the provisions of paragraph II, A, 1, of its terms of reference. It will be noted that this policy decision is quoted verbatim in the enclosed draft directive.
It is requested that the enclosed directive be forwarded to the Joint Chiefs of Staff for transmission to General MacArthur49 for his guidance in accordance with paragraph III, 1, of the terms of reference of the Far Eastern Commission. It is assumed that if the Joint Chiefs of Staff have any question regarding the draft directive they will refer the matter to the State Department for clarification before transmitting a directive on the subject.
It is also requested that the enclosed statement of the Chinese representative to the Far Eastern Commission made before the policy decision relative to Assured Production Capacity Levels for Japan was formally approved by the Commission, and setting forth the position of his Government with regard to paragraph 5, Iron and Steel Industry, of the policy decision, be transmitted to the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers for his information. The French representative expressed his concurrence in the Chinese statement.
The Secretary General of the Far Eastern Commission has requested that the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in transmitting the enclosed draft directive to the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers, inform him that in adopting the policy decision relative to Assured Production Capacity Levels for Japan the Commission accepted the recommendation of the Supreme Commander that the decision not be released to the press until specific plants had been designated by the Supreme Commander, pursuant to the terms of the policy decision. The Commission would appreciate it if the Supreme Commander could inform them when in his opinion the release of this policy decision to the press would be appropriate.
It is also requested that the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers be informed that the Australian representative pointed out that consultation with the Allied Council, as provided by the policy [Page 368] decision, might involve public disclosure of its contents and desired that it be understood that a Power would not be violating the Commission’s decision on publication if it raised any question connected with the policy at a meeting of the Allied Council.
- This was done in serial 71, March 7; the Par Eastern Commission was informed by General Hilldring on March 19.↩