740.00119 Control(Japan)/11–145: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant)
9836. The War Department has brought to our attention a message from General MacArthur to General Marshall18 which calls attention to the critical tone of Reuters towards American policies in Japan and cites two spurious dispatches which read in substance as follows:
- (1)
- Reuters London refers to a report by the special correspondent of the Observer in Tokyo who states that in the press section (Japanese) persons who played a criminal role during and before the war are still being supported, that MacArthur’s headquarters is democratic only on the surface, that a system is being introduced which gives power to the old forces and that it is doubtful whether MacArthur has a clear-cut policy.
- (2)
- Reuters Moscow refers to a statement by the Soviet critic Eugeniev that no measures are being taken in Japan to remove militarism and that future peace is endangered thereby.
General MacArthur comments with regard to (1) that there is no correspondent of the Observer in Tokyo and that the statements are [Page 843] contrary to actual opinion held by the press in Tokyo. He expresses the opinion that the second item is equally spurious.
Unless you perceive objection, it is suggested that you bring this matter informally to the attention of the Foreign Office, not in the form of a protest but for its information, pointing out what General MacArthur describes as the spurious character of the reports.
- Not printed.↩