740.00119 Control (Japan)/5–1446: Telegram
The Political Adviser in Japan (Atcheson) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 15—8 p.m.]
218.97 1. As American press services (notably United Press) in some cases misquoted my remarks at April 30th Council Meeting, and as United Press story was apparently used as basis for correspondents’ inquiry at Dept Press Conference, I propose when practicable [Page 232] to furnish Dept in advance with outline of comments which I expect to make at Council Meeting in regard to certain subjects. I did this in my 192, April 26th, in advance of the last meeting of the Council but apparently it did not reach attention of the Press officers of Dept.
2. In regard to subject number 4, “Address of the People’s Meeting May 1, 1946”, I contemplate making following remarks:
“SCAP is constantly in receipt of petitions from Jap individuals or groups of individuals. This petition is one of a hundred of various kinds recently received. It is without signature and we cannot say defintely from exactly whom it emanated except that, we understand, it was presented by a group during the course of the various parades and mass gatherings on May 1st. According to our information, the allegations in the document are not based on fact. Such allegations or complaints are of course made the subject of investigation. I repeat, again, that if any member of the Council has any concrete and definitive information bearing on these allegations, the Supreme Commander would wish to have it without delay. According to the translators, the document is not written in idiomatic Japanese but rather gives the clear impression that original had been drawn up in a foreign language and then translated into Japanese for presentation. It seems to me to be a document which is essentially concerned with internal politics in Japan. It has been the firm policy of the Supreme Commander not to interfere with internal political activities except in cases of extreme necessity. The attitude of the Supreme Commander toward the activities of various political groups in Japan has rightly been one of great generosity in permitting every possible freedom of expression and action. By directive, political prisoners have been released from prisons in which some of them have been incarcerated for many years. These prisoners have included avowed leaders and members of the Communist Party. I do not need to tell you that the United States does not favor Communism in the United States or Japan. But it has been our firm belief that, in accordance with provisions of Potsdam Declaration, Jap people should be as free as people of the United States to develop their political activities. Communist Party is not suppressed in the United States and has been allowed in Japan the same rights as other political parties and members of Communist Party have been elected to the Diet. The document which we have under consideration contains the signmarks of Communistic propaganda. We are met here for friendly and frank discussions of matters brought before us. And while I wish to offer my opinion in the friendliest way I feel that it is an obligation upon me also to be frank. It is my frank opinion that the efforts of the members of this Council should be toward the democratization of Japan and that it is not consistent with our clear duty in that respect for any member of the Council to give support in public meetings of the Council or otherwise to any one Jap political party. There is one further remark I would like to make in regard to the document. It seems to me patent that it constitutes essentially an attack upon the present Jap Govt. As that Govt resigned some time ago and is carrying on only pending [Page 233] a formation of a new govt, the attack seems pointless and the document accordingly merely seems to be an attempt to spread Communistic propaganda.”
3. It is respectfully requested that the Far Eastern Office bring this message to the attention of Dept’s Press Officers in order that, in case correspondents question the Acting Secretary, Mr. Acheson may have a correct version before him rather than a garbled and distorted press story.
4. By way of general comment on the Council meetings, while we have hoped and desired that the Council develop into an organ which might do its allotted part in facilitating and providing concrete and constructive assistance to the occupation, it is difficult in the light of our experience to be sanguine in this respect because, to our deep regret, the members of the Council have not put forth a single constructive suggestion [of?] substance. Thus the task of the American member has necessarily resolved itself into one of protecting American policy and the occupation from sniping and devious to otherwise [apparent garble] attack.
- Received as C 60993 through military channels.↩