894.404/10–1045: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Acting Political Adviser in Japan (Atcheson)
23. The pertinent parts of Vincent’s broadcast referred to in your No. 36, Oct 10 are as follows. They are paraphrases of SWNCC paper 150/4.39 The complete text of the broadcast will be sent to you by mail.
“Shintoism, insofar as it is a religion of individual Japanese, is not to be interfered with. Shintoism, however, insofar as it is directed by the Japanese Government, and is a measure enforced from above by the government, is to be done away with. People would not be taxed to support National Shinto and there will be no place for Shintoism in the schools. Shintoism as a state religion—National Shinto, that is—will go … Our policy on this goes beyond Shinto … The dissemination of Japanese militaristic and ultra-nationalistic ideology in any form will be completely suppressed. And the Japanese Government will be required to cease financial and other support of Shinto establishments.”
- August 31, not printed, but for SWNCC 150/4/A, September 21, which replaced it, see Department of State Bulletin, September 23, 1945, p. 423.↩