740.00119 Control
(Japan)/8–1845
Report by the State-War-Navy Coordinating
Subcommittee for the Far East9
August 11, 1945
National Composition of Forces to Occupy Japan
Proper in the Post-Defeat Period
the problem
1. To determine the responsibility of the major Allies and possibly
other United Nations at war with Japan, and the apportionment of
such responsibility, for occupation and for the military government
of Japan Proper in the post-defeat period.
facts bearing on the problem
2. See Appendix “A”.
discussion
3. See Appendix “B”.
conclusions
4. It is concluded that:
-
a.
- This Government is committed to consultation with those of
its Allies at war with Japan.
-
b.
- This Government is also committed to the principle of
united action for the prosecution of the war and acting
together in all matters relating to the surrender and
disarmament of Japan.
-
c.
- The United Kingdom, China, and, if she enters the war, the
Soviet Union, have a responsibility to participate with the
United States in the occupation and military government of
Japan and the obligation to assume a share in the burden
thereof.
-
d.
- While the establishment of policies for the control of
Japan is a matter to be entered into by the major Allies in
harmony with the United Nations, the United States should
insist on the control of the implementation of those
policies. The United States should exercise the controlling
voice in the occupation authority in Japan Proper, should
make available its share of occupational forces, should
designate the commander of all occupational forces (The
Military Governor) and principal subordinate commanders, and
should keep strategically placed those forces necessary to
implement its policies. Furthermore, the occupation
authority in Japan should be organized on the principle of
centralized administration, avoiding the division of the
country into national zones of independent responsibility
administered separately.
-
e.
- The major Allies should be called upon to make substantial
contributions to the occupational forces in conformity with
their obligations to share in the burden of controlling
Japan.
-
f.
- Participation in the occupation authority in Japan and in
furnishing the forces of occupation may be extended as
desired to include those countries, other than the major
Allies, which will have made timely request to share in such
responsibilities and which have actively and substantially
participated in the war against Japan.
-
g.
- The interests of the United States would be served by the
participation of Orientals in the occupation forces and in
the occupation authority in Japan.
recommendations
5. It is recommended that:
-
a.
- This report be referred to the Joint Chiefs of Staff with
a request for their comments and recommendations.
-
b.
- The conclusions, when approved by the SWNCC, be
transmitted to the Joint Chiefs of Staff and to the War and
Navy Departments as the policy of the United States with
regard to the responsibility of the major Allies and
possibly other United Nations at war with Japan, and the
apportionment of such responsibility, for occupation and for
the military government of Japan Proper in the post-defeat
period.
[Enclosure 1]
Appendix “A”
Facts Bearing on the Problem
- 1.
- In accordance with the request contained in SWNCC 70, the
Department of State has presented a paper (SWNCC
70/1/D)10 to the SWNC Subcommittee for the Far
East. This paper has been used and considered by the
Subcommittee for the Far East in the preparation of this
report.
- 2.
- The problem discussed herein appears as Item IV–2 on the
“List of Politico-Military Problems in the Far East” (SWNCC
16/4).11
- 3.
- The term “Japan Proper” as used in this report is defined
to include only the four main islands of Japan, including
about 1,000 offshore islands and the Tsushima
Islands.
- 4.
- In the Declaration by United Nations signed at Washington
1 January 1942,12
the signatories declared:
-
a.
- “Each Government pledges itself to employ its full
resources, military or economic, against those
members of the Tripartite Pact and its adherents
with which such government is at war”.
-
b.
- “Each Government pledges itself to cooperate with
the Governments signatory hereto and not to make a
separate armistice or peace with the
enemies”.
- 5.
- The Declaration of the four nations13 at
the Moscow Conference of 30 October 1943 states that:
“The Governments of the United States of America, the
United Kingdom, the Soviet Union and China … jointly
declare:
1. That their united action, pledged for the
prosecution of the war against their respective
enemies, will be continued for the organization and
maintenance of peace and security.
2. That those of them at war with a common enemy will
act together in all matters relating to the
surrender and disarmament of that enemy.
3. That they will take all measures deemed by them to
be necessary to provide against any violation of the
terms imposed upon the enemy.
. . . . . . .
5. That for the purpose of maintaining international
peace and security pending the re-establishment of
law and order and the inauguration of a system of
general security, they will consult with one another
and as occasion requires with other members of the
United Nations with a view to joint action on behalf
of the community of nations.
6. That after the termination of hostilities they
will not employ their military forces within the
territories of other states except for the purposes
envisaged in this declaration and after joint
consultation …”
- 6.
- The Cairo Declaration of 1 December 194314 issued by President Roosevelt, Prime
Minister Churchill and Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek states
in part that:
“The Three Great Allies are fighting this war to
restrain and punish the aggression of Japan.…
… The three Allies, in harmony with those of the
United Nations at war with Japan, will continue to
persevere in the serious and prolonged operations
necessary to procure the unconditional surrender of
Japan.”
- 7.
- The Teheran Declaration of 1 December 194315
by President Roosevelt, Prime Minister Churchill and Marshal
Stalin reads:
“We express our determination that our nations shall
work together in war and in the peace that will
follow …
We shall seek the cooperation and active
participation of all nations, large and small, whose
peoples in heart and mind are dedicated, as are our
own peoples, to the elimination of tyranny and
slavery, oppression and intolerance.”
- 8.
- The Secretary of State, on 9 April 1944, said:16
“We have found no difference of opinion among our
Allies that the organization and purposes of the
Nazi state and its Japanese counterpart, and the
military system in all of its ramifications upon
which they rest, are, and by their very nature must
be, directed toward conquest. There was no
disagreement that even after the defeat of the enemy
there will be no security unless and until our
victory is used to destroy these systems to their
very foundation. The action which must be taken to
achieve these ends must be, as I have said, agreed
action. We are working with our Allies now upon
these courses.”
- 9.
- On 24 March 1942, the President approved the designation
of the Pacific Theater, which includes Japan Proper as an
area of United States strategic responsibility.
- 10.
- The “Three Great Allies”, United States, Great Britain and
China, have all participated actively and substantially,
although not equally, in the prosecution of the war against
Japan. Among the other United Nations who have made a
contribution to the war against Japan are Australia, Canada,
France, India, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and the
Philippines.
- 11.
- Several prominent Chinese have supported multilateral
rather than unilateral control of Japan. For example, H. H.
Kung, as Vice President of the Executive Yuan, declared in
June 1944, “We must insist that Japan be placed under the
occupation and control of the Allies”.
- 12.
- The Joint Chiefs of Staff instructions to General
Stilwell, enclosed in a letter from the Joint Chiefs of
Staff to the Secretary of State, 5 [15] September 1944, read:
“The Joint Chiefs of Staff and the State Department
have agreed to the following (J.C.S. 999/3):17
. . . . . . .
… The Chinese Government might be informed that if
any long term military administration of Japan
proper is found necessary, it is hoped that
participation in such an administration will be on a
broad practical basis and that the administration
will include personnel of powers which have actively
engaged in the war against Japan, including, of
course, China.”
- 13.
- The Combined Chiefs of Staff at their 190th Meeting on 13
April 1945 took note (item 5) that the British Chiefs of
Staff would like to know as soon as possible the views of
the Joint Chiefs of Staff concerning British participation
in the military government and occupation of Japan.
- 14.
- On 5 June 1945, the President approved SWNCC 65/2,18 “Establishment
[Page 607]
of a Far Eastern Advisory
Commission”, subject to the following:
That it be held in reserve for use in discussions
when any of the Allied Governments participating in
the war against Japan requests consultation with
this Government on problems of the Far East arising
directly from the unconditional surrender or defeat
of Japan, and that the State, War, and Navy
Departments consult each other through the
State-War-Navy Coordinating Committee prior to its
use in any such discussions.
Thus, the principle of consultation with other
United Nations on the problems above indicated has been adopted
by the United States Government.
[Enclosure 2]
Appendix “B”
Discussion
- 1.
- In signing the “Declaration by United Nations”, the United
States committed itself to cooperation with all other
signatories in the prosecution of the war against Japan and
undertook not to make a separate armistice or peace. By
adherence to the Moscow, Cairo and Teheran Declarations the
United States, United Kingdom and China are committed to
joint consultation, united action for the prosecution of the
war against Japan and to acting together in all matters
relating to the surrender and disarmament of Japan. The
Soviet Union is a signatory of the Moscow and Teheran
Declarations, and if she enters the war against Japan will
be bound by their provisions and be entitled to the same
standing as the other “Three Great Allies”.
- 2.
- It is apparent that a distinction has been drawn between
our commitments to the major Allies (United Kingdom, China
and later, possibly the Soviet Union), and those to the
other United Nations. In regard to the former we are obliged
to adhere to the principle of acting together with regard to
the surrender and disarmament of the enemy, and to
consultation with a view to joint action on behalf of the
community of nations for the purpose of maintaining peace
and security pending the reestablishment of law and order.
Our obligations to the other United Nations require that we
make no separate peace, that we work in “harmony” with them
and consult with them as occasion requires.
- 3.
- The occupation and military government of Japan are
directly related to the surrender and disarmament of Japan
and to the preservation of peace and security pending the
reestablishment of law and order. Therefore, the United
Kingdom and China, (and, if she
[Page 608]
enters the war, the Soviet Union) have
a responsibility to participate with the United States in
such occupation and military government, and the obligation
to assume a share in the burden thereof. Other United
Nations must be consulted if occasion requires, but their
responsibility and obligations in respect to surrender,
disarmament and the preservation of peace and security
appear to have been assumed by the major Allies since the
latter are pledged to “joint action on behalf of the
community of nations”.
- 4.
- The major share of the effort in the war against Japan has
been, and will continue to be made by the United States.
Upon the surrender or collapse of Japan the great bulk of
the forces in occupation and control of Japan Proper and the
surrounding waters will be American. Our paramount interest
in and responsibility for the peace and security of the
Pacific areas is generally recognized by all of the United
Nations. For these reasons, we should insist on United
States control of the implementation of such policies in
respect to the control of Japan as may be established by the
Allies. The United States should exercise the controlling
voice in military government in Japan Proper, and designate
the commander of all occupational forces and the principal
subordinate commanders. In order to further insure United
States control of the implementation of the agreed policies
of the major Allies, the military government of Japan should
be organized on the principle of centralized administration
avoiding the division of the country into national zones of
independent responsibility administered separately. With
respect to the proportion of U.S. occupational forces
necessary to effect these ends, the United States should be
prepared to make the show of force necessary to control the
implementation of agreed policies. However, this show of
force need not be accomplished by furnishing the
preponderance of occupational troops. It might well be
accomplished by supplementing the necessary ground forces of
occupation with air force contingents located in perimeter
areas and with fleets in adjacent waters. Thus the size of
the U.S. occupational force could be reduced and the U.S.
could economize in its use of armed forces in the post-war
era.
- 5.
- Because the burden of maintaining an occupation force in
Japan should not be the sole responsibility of the American
people, we should call upon the other major Allies to make
substantial contributions to such forces in conformity with
their obligation to share in the burden of controlling
Japan.
- 6.
- Although the major Allies have assumed the right to act in
behalf of the community of nations, the military government
of Japan and the forces in occupation may later be expanded
to include those countries which will have made timely
request to share in such responsibilities and which have
actively and substantially participated in the
[Page 609]
war against Japan.
The major Allies can employ this method to limit
participation to those nations vitally concerned with
matters relating to the surrender and disarmament of
Japan.
- 7.
- The interests of the United States would be served by the
participation of Orientals as well as Occidentals in the
occupation forces and in the military government of Japan.
This use of Asiatic units would force the Japanese to
realize that the greater part of the world, both Occidental
and Oriental, is against them and would afford them no basis
for interpreting the war in the Pacific as a racial war and
as one designed to spread “white imperialism” throughout
Asia.
