Foreign Relations of the United States, Diplomatic Papers, 1945, The British Commonwealth, The Far East, Volume VI

740.00119 Control(Japan)/8–2045

The British Embassy to the Department of State

Aide-Mémoire

His Majesty’s Government have been considering the question of the machinery which should be set up for the control of metropolitan Japan and of the role which the United Kingdom should play. An outline of their views is contained in the attached document.

The proposals relate only to the four main islands of Japan and are without prejudice to any further proposals for the control of the administration of other areas now in Japanese hands. The Supreme Allied Commander will of course remain free to take all decisions in the military sphere but the intention is to assist him in the exercise of his responsibilities by setting up an Allied Control Council to guide him more particularly in political, economic, and financial matters.

These proposals are put forward on a tentative basis for discussion only and His Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom may wish to modify them in the light of any comments which may be made by His Majesty’s Dominion Governments. His Majesty’s Government are not consulting the Soviet and Chinese Governments as it is their wish to reach an understanding first with the United States Government.

The Australian Government have on many occasions indicated that they expect to participate fully at all stages in Allied consultations affecting the future of Japan. It is unlikely that they would be content with a place on the proposed Advisory Committee. The proposal of His Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom that Australia should be represented on the Control Council is in their view fully justified by the part which Australia has played in the war against Japan.

Washington , August 20, 1945.

[Annex]

The British Embassy to the Department of State

Paraphrase of Telegram Received From Foreign Office, Dated August 18, 1945

The following tentative proposals regarding machinery for the control of Japan are based upon the following assumptions:

(a) that there will be some form of central Japanese governing authority functioning under the direction of the Allied Supreme Commander;

(b) that the seat of this Japanese governing authority will be Tokyo;

(c) that inter-Allied control will be expressed through some form of Allied Control Commission; and

(d) that neither Tokyo nor metropolitan Japan will be divided into zones under autonomous commanders.

2. In Japan, unlike Germany, the Allied powers will not be represented by co-equal Commanders-in-Chief. There will be only one Supreme Allied Commander, General MacArthur. Since he is to exercise his authority on behalf of the Allied powers it is suggested that without prejudice to his military responsibility he should be the President of the Allied Control Council.

3. There is, however, no cogent reason why the Control Council should be entirely military in character and membership. Each government should decide whether to have a civilian or military representative. The Control Council would be responsible for the formulation of policy towards Japan. The execution of this policy would be the responsibility of the Supreme Allied Commander who would exercise his control through the Japanese authorities.

4. Each of the members of the Control Council would receive his instructions from and would report directly to his own Government. Any decisions which could not be arrived at locally would be referred to Governments for settlement through such channels as they might decide. Each member of the Control Council would be assisted by a personal staff of such technical advisers as he required. In the case of military and economic disarmament, reparations and other matters requiring the direct supervision of the occupying powers, it would seem advisable for representatives of each member of the Council to be included in or attached to those executive departments under the Supreme Allied Commander which were responsible for giving effect to the policy of the Control Council.

5. To provide for the association in the control of Japan of powers other than those principally and most directly concerned, it seems desirable to establish an Advisory Committee of representatives of all powers who have engaged activity [actively?] in the war against Japan including the powers represented on the Control Council.

6. In the light of the foregoing, His Majesty’s Government suggest the setting up of machinery on the following lines:

(a) an Allied Control Council of five powers should be established under the Presidency of the Supreme Allied Commander. The members should be civilian or Military representatives of the Governments of the United Kingdom, United States, Soviet Union, China and Australia.

(b) There should also be established an Allied Advisory Committee for Japan composed of the representatives of the five powers who are members of the Control Council together with the representatives of Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, India, France, Netherlands and the Philippines. The President of the Control Council should be Chairman of the Advisory Committee. The functions of the Advisory Committee should be to consider matters referred to them by the Control Council and to make recommendations to the Control Council. The Advisory Committee would be kept fully informed of policy matters under consideration by the Control Council.

(c) A British force comprising all the services should take part in the occupation of Japan and in purely military matters the Commander of the British forces should have direct access to the Supreme Commander and should not be responsible to the British member of the Control Council.

(d) The prefecture of Tokyo should be garrisoned jointly by United States, Russian, Chinese and British forces as directed by the Supreme Commander, but the area should not be zoned on the Berlin model. Civil administration should be an American responsibility.

(e) All occupation duties in Japan elsewhere than in Tokyo should be undertaken by United States Forces who would also be responsible for making available the necessary local supplies for the whole area of Tokyo (including all the garrison forces). A suitable location should however be allotted for the British air contingent and a port should be allotted for the Headquarters of the British naval forces in Japanese waters.