Office of the Historian

Preface

This volume was prepared under the direct supervision of the former Chief of the Foreign Relations Division, E. Ralph Perkins, assisted by the present Chief, S. Everett Gleason and by Rogers P. Churchill.

The compilations on the relations of the United States with the United Kingdom were the work of John P. Glennon and former staff members N. O. Sappington and Laurence Evans. Mr. Sappington was also responsible for the documentation of American relations with Australia, Canada, the Union of South Africa, French Indochina, and the Netherlands East Indies.

The selection and editing of the documents delineating American policy toward Japan was the work of Herbert A. Fine and John G. Reid. Mr. Fine also compiled the documentation on the policies of the United States with respect to Korea, the Philippines and Siam.

The compilation on the relations of the United States with India was the work of Ralph R. Goodwin.

The Publishing and Reproduction Services Division (Jerome H. Perlmutter, Chief) was responsible for the technical editing of the volume.

William M. Franklin

Director, Historical Office,
Bureau of Public Affairs
March 3, 1969

Principles for the Compilation and Editing of “Foreign Relations”

The principles which guide the compilation and editing of Foreign Relations are stated in Department of State Regulation 1350 of June 15, 1961, a revision of the order approved on March 26, 1925, by Mr. Frank B. Kellogg, then Secretary of State. The text of the current regulation is printed below:

1350 Documentary Record of American Diplomacy

1351 Scope of Documentation

The publication Foreign Relations of the United States, Diplomatic Papers, constitutes the official record of the foreign policy of the United States. These volumes include, subject to necessary security considerations, all documents needed to give a comprehensive record [Page IV] of the major foreign policy decisions within the range of the Department of State’s responsibilities, together with appropriate materials concerning the facts which contributed to the formulation of policies. When further material is needed to supplement the documentation in the Department’s files for a proper understanding of the relevant policies of the United States, such papers should be obtained from other Government agencies.

1352 Editorial Preparation

The basic documentary diplomatic record to be printed in Foreign Relations of the United States, Diplomatic Papers, shall be edited by the Historical Office, Bureau of Public Affairs of the Department of State. The editing of the record shall be guided by the principles of historical objectivity. There shall be no alteration of the text, no deletions without indicating where in the text the deletion is made, and no omission of facts which were of major importance in reaching a decision. Nothing shall be omitted for the purpose of concealing or glossing over what might be regarded by some as a defect of policy. However, certain omissions of documents are permissible for the following reasons:

a.
To avoid publication of matters which would tend to impede current diplomatic negotiations or other business.
b.
To condense the record and avoid repetition of needless details.
c.
To preserve the confidence reposed in the Department by individuals and by foreign governments.
d.
To avoid giving needless offense to other nationalities or individuals.
e.
To eliminate personal opinions presented in despatches and not acted upon by the Department. To this consideration there is one qualification—in connection with major decisions it is desirable, where possible, to show the alternatives presented to the Department before the decision was made.

1353 Clearance

To obtain appropriate clearances of material to be published in Foreign Relations of the United States, Diplomatic Papers, the Historical Office shall:

a.
Refer to the appropriate policy offices of the Department and of other agencies of the Government such papers as appear to require policy clearance.
b.
Refer to the appropriate foreign governments requests for permission to print as part of the diplomatic correspondence of the United States those previously unpublished documents which were originated by the foreign governments.