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

Records of the Office of the Political Adviser in Japan, Lot 57–F103, 800 Korea–Soviet: Telegram

Lieutenant General John R. Hodge to General of the Army Douglas MacArthur, at Tokyo

[Seoul,] 12 October, 1945.

Tfgcg 112. The refusal of the Russians to negotiate locally “on the military level” and their insistence that agreement of basic question of principle be reached by our respective Governments raises the question of the status here of the Soviet Consul General and Staff (our Tfgcg 110⁹³) of about 10 men and a number of women and children.

They were here throughout the war and were interned for only a few days. This Headquarters has been giving them a certain quantity of food supplies, and the Consul General and Vice Consul have participated in discussions with the Soviet Military both here and to the North. Every facility has been accorded to their officials including special train transportation to the north for themselves and families and air transportation to Tokyo and back. In return, this Headquarters, although treated with “correctness”, has been rebuffed in all its efforts to reach any kind of an understanding on any subject.

It is considered possible that the Consul General is assisting the Korean Communist movement in Seoul, and is trying behind the scenes in apparent attempts to discredit the United States and its occupation policies in the eyes of the Koreans.

We are thus in the position of giving them every facility for observation and political activity for which we in return receive absolutely nothing.

This Headquarters does not recommend at this time that the Soviet Consul General be asked to withdraw. Nevertheless the situation should not be permitted to pass unnoticed, and the occasion might be taken to ask for the acceptance of an American official in Manchuria,⁹⁴ having communications facilities. In the meantime this Headquarters would appreciate policy guidance as to the status of consular establishments under conditions which now dbtain in Southern Korea.

[

Hodge

]

93. Copy not found in Department files; message presumably reported in telegram CA 53102, supra.
94. Documentation regarding difficulties in securing acceptance of American officials in this area will be published in vol. vii, pp. 1457 ff.