740.00119 P.W./11–944
The Acting Secretary of State to the Secretary of War (Stimson)77
My Dear Mr. Secretary: In connection with developments in the war in the Pacific, I wish to suggest to you the desirability of setting up, without undue delay, a committee composed of representatives of the State, War and Navy Departments and of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to undertake such studies as may appear appropriate in preparation to meet, as regards the Far East, problems similar to those which have come before the European Advisory Commission78 with respect to the enemy states in Europe. It is our thought that among such problems as can be foreseen, the committee would occupy itself with [Page 1275] the formulation of the surrender terms for Japan, the military administration of civil affairs in the Far East and such questions as may arise in connection with the disposition of various territories now occupied by the enemy. Efforts might be made to coordinate such studies with regard to these various problems as may already have been pursued by the interested departments. Consideration might also be given by the committee to the question of the desirability of the eventual establishment for the Far East of an international body comparable to the European Advisory Commission.
Apart from representatives of the State, War and Navy Departments and of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, it is thought that representatives of other departments might from time to time be included in the committee on an ad hoc basis when questions of interest to those departments are to be discussed.
In view of the fact that much of the work of the proposed committee will have to do with political problems involving foreign policy and relations with foreign nations, it is assumed that a representative of the State Department should assume the chairmanship of the committee.
If you concur in the foregoing proposal, I shall be glad to learn from you the names of such officers as you may wish to assign as members of the committee. As soon as representatives of the War and Navy Departments and of the Joint Chiefs of Staff have been thus assigned, representatives of the State Department will likewise be chosen and it is hoped that the committee can begin to function at an early date. It is our feeling that it would be desirable to keep the actual membership on the committee as restricted as practicable and that advisers or experts be invited to take part in the committee meetings whenever it may appear desirable.79
Sincerely yours,
- Same sent to the Secretary of the Navy (Forrestal).↩
- See vol. i, pp. 1 ff.↩
- For correspondence on the establishment of SWNCO, the State-War-Navy Coordinating Committee, see vol. i .↩