1. To determine the initial post-defeat policy of the United States
relating to Japan.
2. The Civil Affairs Division of the War Department requested on 6
April 1945 “that the Department of State furnish the Civil Affairs
Division with a short policy statement with respect to the treatment
of Japan, which statement should have the Presidential approval to
the end that civil affairs planning for Japan may proceed.” “We have
in mind a statement for Japan similar to the statement as approved
by the President with respect to the treatment of Germany.”
3. SWNCC 54 requests the Department of State to prepare a paper on
the subject “Basic Policies and Objectives of the United States in
the Pacific and the Far East”, which appears as Item I in SWNCC
16/4.70
4. In accordance with these requests, the Department of State
expressed its views on the above subject. The State Department paper
has been considered and used by the Subcommittee for the Far East in
the preparation of this report.
5. It is concluded that the Appendix should be accepted as a
statement of the United States initial post-defeat policy relating
to Japan.
6. It is recommended that:
[Annex]
Summary of United States Initial
Post-Defeat Policy Relating to Japan
A. general provisions
I. Objectives
The general objectives of the United States in regard to Japan
are:
- 1.
- The unconditional surrender or total defeat of
Japan;
- 2.
- The stripping from the Japanese Empire of territories,
including the Mandated Islands, in harmony with the
Cairo Declaration and
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such other pertinent agreements as
may be reached by the United Nations, and to which the
United States is a party;
- 3.
- The creation of conditions which will insure that
Japan will not again become a menace to the peace and
security of the world;
- 4.
- The eventual emergence of a government in Japan which
will respect the rights of other states and Japan’s
international obligations; and
- 5.
- The eventual participation of Japan in a world
economic system on a reasonable basis.
II. Unconditional Surrender or
Total Defeat
Immediately upon the unconditional surrender or total defeat of
Japan, the supreme allied commander will exercise supreme
authority over the domestic and foreign affairs of the Japanese
Empire. Simultaneously, the constitutional powers of the Emperor
shall be suspended. All instrumentalities which participate in
the formulation or consideration of national policies shall be
suspended, pending the achievement of the objectives of military
government, and their functions shall be assumed by military
government.
B. political
I. Successive Periods in the
Treatment of Japan
In order to achieve these general objectives the policies of the
United States should be considered separately for three
successive periods of Japan’s post-war development.
The first of these periods will be that during which the terms to
be imposed on Japan as a result of its surrender or its total
defeat will be enforced by military occupation. In this period
the Japanese will undergo stern discipline, as they cannot
escape responsibility for what they have brought upon
themselves.
The second period will be one of close surveillance; restrictions
will be progressively relaxed as Japan demonstrates its
willingness and ability to live at peace with other nations.
Military government might be replaced by some other supervisory
agency.
The third period will be one which will look toward the ultimate
aim of the United States, namely, a Japan properly discharging
its responsibilities in the family of peaceful nations.
The duration of the occupation and the treatment of the Japanese
throughout the three periods will depend in large measure on the
behaviour of the Japanese.
II. The Political Objectives
of Military Government
The immediate objective of military government in Japan shall be
the strict enforcement of the terms imposed upon Japan. Within
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such frame work,
the general political objectives of the military government are:
- 1.
- The abolition of militarism;
- 2.
- The strengthening of democratic tendencies and
processes [;]
- 3.
- The encouragement of liberal political elements and
the creation of conditions in Japan which will
facilitate the emergence of a government with which the
United Nations can deal.
III. Military Government and
Military Occupation
1. Security
Japan’s ground, air and naval forces are to be disarmed and
disbanded; military and naval matériel, vessels and
installations are to be surrendered or destroyed; industries
primarily military in character are to be eliminated. All
measures taken in this connection shall be designed to
accomplish to the extent possible the permanent disarmament and
demilitarization of Japan.
2. Character of Military Government
The measures of military government should be stern but just.
3. Administrative Functions and Machinery
Military government should utilize the Japanese administrative
machinery and, so far as practicable, Japanese public officials,
making these officials responsible for the carrying out of the
policies and directives of the military government. Military
government should in no circumstances allow persons to hold
public office or any other position of responsibility or
influence in public or private enterprise, who have been
flagrant exponents of militant nationalism and aggression. The
administration of affairs in Japan should be directed toward the
development of local responsibility.
4. Some of the Initial Tasks of Military
Government
Among the important tasks to be early undertaken by military
government are:
- (1)
-
Nullification of Obnoxious Laws
- Laws, ordinances and regulations which conflict with
the purposes and policies of the military government
shall be suspended or repealed. Agencies charged
specifically with the execution of such laws, ordinances
and regulations shall be abolished or appropriately
modified.
- (2)
-
Political Parties or Agencies
- Existing political parties, including totalitarian,
political and quasi-political organizations and
ultra-nationalistic societies, shall be
dissolved.
- (3)
-
Freedom of Worship
- Freedom of religious worship shall be proclaimed
promptly on occupation.
- (4)
-
Media of Public Information
- The military government will aim to terminate the
dissemination of ideas subversive of the purposes of the
United Nations, and to substitute therefor information
and knowledge of the ideals and concepts in which the
United Nations believe.
- (5)
-
The Educational System
- Control shall be established over the educational
system for the purpose of eliminating Japanese
militarism and ultranationalism, including para-military
training, and making possible the development of
democratic ideas.
- (6)
-
The Administration of Justice
- The military government shall supervise the
administration of justice, and, so far as practicable,
the civil courts will continue to function as an
instrumentality of military government. All persons
unjustly or illegally held in custody shall be
released.
- (7)
-
War Criminals and Other Dangerous
Persons
- War Criminals shall be arrested, brought to trial and
punished. Japanese leaders and other persons who have
been flagrant exponents of militant nationalism and
aggression and any other persons manifesting open
hostility to the objectives of military government shall
be arrested and interned.
C. economic
I. Demilitarization
Military government shall enforce a program to demilitarize
industry with the aim of preventing Japan from again developing
an economic war potential. There shall be developed and
established a system of controls that can be continued after
occupation has ceased and which will assure the continued
economic disarmament of Japan over a longer period. Japan shall
be permitted to retain no specialized facilities for the
production or repair of implements of war or aircraft of any
type and shall be deprived of the heavy industry capacity in
excess of normal peacetime requirements and those key industries
upon which an extensive war industry could be redeveloped.
Pending decision on disposition either by transfer abroad, use
in Japan or scrapping, there should be no destruction of
facilities readily convertible to civilian production except in
emergency situations.
II. Control of Japanese
Economy
In order to meet the needs of the occupation forces and to
prevent starvation and such disease and civil unrest as would
interfere with the operations of military government, military
government shall take such steps as may be necessary with
respect to (a) essential national public
services; (b) finance and banking; (c) production and distribution of
essential commodities; and (d) exports
and imports. No steps shall be taken by the military government
which would raise the standard of living of the Japanese people
to a standard out of line with that of neighboring peoples.
III. Reparations, Restitution
and Relief
In accordance with decisions by the appropriate authorities,
military government shall arrange for relief to the United
Nations and
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to
liberated areas, for restitution of identifiable looted property
and for reparations. The first charge on the proceeds of all
approved exports, for reparations or otherwise, shall be a sum
necessary to pay for approved imports. Reparations or relief for
liberated areas shall not constitute a ground for the
restoration or development of Japanese industries which might
contribute to the rearmament of Japan or whose expansion might
promote dependence by other countries on Japan for strategic
products.
IV. Promotion of Democratic
Forces
Military government shall encourage the development of democratic
organizations in labor, industry, and agriculture, and shall
favor a wider distribution of ownership, management and control
of the Japanese economic system.
V. Control of Foreign Assets
and Credit
No credit shall be extended Japan or any Japanese person by
foreign persons or governments, except with approval of military
government. Military government shall hold for subsequent
disposition title to all foreign assets of the Japanese
government, of Japanese citizens and of Japanese corporations
domiciled in the main islands. No Japanese person shall be
permitted to acquire foreign assets except by specific approval
of the military government.
[For additional documentation on postwar planning policy for
Japan and territories under Japanese control, see
Foreign Relations, The Conference
of Berlin (The Potsdam Conference), 1945, volumes
I and II.]
