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

740.00119 FEAC/12–3145: Telegram

The Ambassador in France (Caffery) to the Secretary of State

Paris, December 31, 1945—2 p.m.
[Received December 31—11:17 a.m.]

7433. Department’s 6053, December 28.⁶⁵ The Foreign Ministry has asked urgently for clarification of the following paragraph of our invitation for the French to participate in the Far Eastern Commission: Paragraph in question is Roman Numeral II, A, subparagraph 3 which begins “to consider such other matters as may be assigned, et cetera”.

The French specifically wish to know whether the phrase “other matters” refers to Japan alone or to other Far Eastern questions. (They obviously have Indochina in mind.) Since our invitation is to be taken up in Cabinet meeting Wednesday a reply from the Department prior to that meeting should serve to avoid delay in French reply.⁶⁶

Caffery

65. See footnote 64, p. 895.
66. In telegram 6094, December 31, 4 p.m., to Paris, the Department replied: “In the absence of agreement on part of participating Governments to enlarge the scope of the commission, ‘other matters’ is intended to include matters relating to the control of Japan.” (740.00119 FEAC/12–3145)