740.00119 PW/8–2645: Telegram
The Consul General at Manila (Steintorf) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 27—9:28 a.m.]
571. At their request Johnson53 yesterday informally conferred with Lieutenant General John Hodge, Commander of the 24th Corps which will carry out the occupation of the portion of Korea assigned to the American forces, and Brigadier General Charles Harris, Military Government Officer of that Corps. It is thought that the Dept should know for its own information only that no JCS (Joint Chiefs of Staff) or other directive with regard to Korea has yet been received here and that it was apparently the plan initially to apply the Japanese directive54 mutatis mutandis to Korea, that is to utilize the Governor General and his Japanese staff for the administration of the country under the direction of the American Military Governor. Entirely on his own responsibility Johnson pointed out the undesirable aspects of this policy. It is understood that GHQ (General Headquarters) has now telegraphed War Dept requesting that JCS directive including the question of relations between the Russian and American occupied sections of the country be sent immediately. Present plans here do not call for American landings in Korea until September 15th.55
- U. Alexis Johnson, Consul at Manila, detailed to the staff of the Office of the Political Adviser in Japan at Yokohama.↩
- President Truman’s directive to the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers in Japan (MacArthur), ante, p. 647.↩
- The XXIV Corps, under Lieutenant General Hodge, left Okinawa on September 5 and arrived off Chemulpo on September 8. The headquarters of the Corps moved to Seoul on September 9.↩