740.00119 P.W./12–845: Telegram
Mr. Edwin W. Pauley, Personal Representative of the President on Reparations, to President Truman and the Secretary of State
CA 55748. The following letter was delivered today to General MacArthur:
“General of the Army Douglas MacArthur,
“Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers,
“Tokyo, Japan.
“Dear General MacArthur:
“It has been reported to me through your headquarters that there is some uneasiness in Korea as to the possibility that sizable quantities of plant and equipment may be removed from that country as Japanese reparations.
“In order that reparations policy with respect to Korea may be clear, I am today issuing a statement pointing out that the interest of the Reparations Mission is not to take things from Korea. On the contrary, I intend to recommend to the President that we should try to determine what Japanese plants and equipment, formerly used to exploit Korea, could usefully be transferred from Japan to Korea. A copy of my statement is enclosed.
“Sincerely Yours,
Edwin W. Pauley”
The following press release was delivered today to official press representatives for immediate release:
“Statement by Ambassador Edwin W. Pauley, Personal Representative of the President of the United States and head of the United States Reparations Mission to Japan.
“8 December 1945.
“Since issuing my statement of 7 December on Japanese reparations,66 I have been asked how our reparations policy will affect Korea. The interest of the Reparations Mission is, of course, not to take things from that liberated country. On the contrary, I intend to recommend to President Truman that the policy should be to determine what Japanese plants and the Korean people, [sic] could usefully be [Page 1011] transferred from Japan proper to help round out an independent Korean economy.
“Both the American occupation of South Korea and the Russian occupation of North Korea are temporary. Under United Nations policy all Korea will eventually be treated as a unit. I believe therefore that it may prove preferable to postpone allocations and shipments on account of reparations to Korea until the needs of the whole country—and by that I mean the whole people, not the interests of any privileged group—can be considered as a unit.”