Office of the Historian

740.00119 Control (Japan)/10–1345

The Acting Political Adviser in Japan (Atcheson) to the Secretary of State
No. 16
Tokyo, October 13, 1945.
[Received October 24.]

Sir: I have the honor to enclose a copy of a memorandum of this date to General MacArthur in regard to the question of his returning the Emperor’s recent call, as suggested to us by an adviser of Marquis Kido.

It will be observed that in the memorandum the opinion is expressed that it would be inadvisable from several points of view for the Supreme Commander to call on Hirohito.45

Respectfully yours,

George Atcheson, Jr.
[Enclosure]
Memorandum by the Acting Political Adviser in Japan (Atcheson)
Tokyo, October 13, 1945.

Memorandum for: Supreme Commander Through Chief of Staff.

An official adviser of Marquis Kido has come to us privately—and somewhat timidly—to suggest that you might wish to make some gesture toward the Emperor in return for his recent call on you. He intimated that the Emperor felt that he was losing face because his call had not been returned and that the Japanese people were disturbed for the same reason.

I offer my considered opinion that it would be inadvisable for you to return Hirohito’s call. Not only would such a gesture be likely to cause widespread adverse comment in the American press, but it would, I believe, offend the sensibilities of the American people in general. As regards the question of the Emperor’s loss of face and a possible [Page 753] consequent feeling of humiliation on the part of the Japanese Government and people, it would seem merely axiomatic that loss of the war necessarily involves loss of face and humiliation and will continue to do so, and that some loss of face by the Emperor is not necessarily undesirable from our point of view but that, to a reasonable extent, the contrary is true.

George Atcheson, Jr.
  1. Notation on October 25 by the Under Secretary of State (Acheson): “Good for George. He is 100% right. DA”.↩