894.011/7–1046
Memorandum by the Secretary of
State to the Secretary General of the Far Eastern
Commission (Johnson)
Washington, July 12, 1946.
Subject: Views of the Supreme Commander for the Allied
Powers on the Public Release of Statement of Policy Regarding Basic
Principles for a New Japanese Constitution, approved by the Far Eastern
Commission on July 2, 1946.
In reply to your letter of July 3, 1946,39 in regard to the above subject, there is
enclosed, for the information of the Far Eastern Commission, a copy of a
message from the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers concerning the
question of the release to the press of the statement of policy
regarding Basic Principles for a New Japanese Constitution approved by
the Far Eastern Commission on July 2, 1946.
[Annex]
Telegram From General of the Army Douglas
MacArthur
There is no inconsistency between the basic principles governing
constitutional reform approved by the Far Eastern Commission on July
2 and those previously prescribed by the United States Government
and SCAP. As consequence, the draft
constitution now under consideration by the Diet at the instance of
the Japanese Government conforms in every respect to the basic
principles outlined and scrupulous care will be exercised to insure
that the constitution finally adopted by the Diet contains no
provision inconsistent therewith. It would appear, however, that the
public release of the directive at this time would be grave, if not
fatal, error.
The Japanese Government and people, by virtue of the Potsdam
surrender terms, have since the start of the occupation been
evolving
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their own form of
government and, with the advice of and consultation with SCAP, voluntarily have been moving
toward constitutional reform designed to produce a thoroughly
democratic state. The publication, under these circumstances, of a
restrictive and mandatory directive would tend to provoke a
revulsion of the Japanese people against any such reform,
irrespective of its terms, as the voluntary character of the work
now in process would instantly become clothed with the taint of
Allied force. It would vitiate the requirement contained in the
Potsdam declaration, and fundamental to all subsequent policy
enunciated on constitutional reform, including that of the Far
Eastern Commission, that any such action must be responsive to the
free will of the Japanese people. It would not only seriously
threaten the gains already made in the democratization of Japan but
would materially increase the hazards and difficulties which yet
confront the occupation. I, therefore, recommend most earnestly that
this directive be regarded with the same discretion which invariably
surrounds diplomatic procedure under conditions of equivalent
delicacy.40
