740.00119 Control (Japan)/8–2046
The Political Adviser in Japan (Atcheson) to the Secretary of State
No. 560
[Received September 3.]
Sir: I have the honor to refer to this Mission’s despatch 535, August 5, 1946,78 and to previous correspondence in regard to meetings of the Allied Council for Japan, and to forward as an accompaniment78 five copies each of the Agenda and Verbatim Minutes of the [Page 300] Eleventh Meeting of the Council held on August 7, 1946. As the Soviet Member did not concur in the revised Summary of Proceedings none was issued.
Under Official Matters, there was only one subject for discussion; namely, “The Results of the Realization of the Directive of the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers, dated 4 January 1946, on: ‘Removal and Exclusion of Undesirable Personnel from Public Office’” which had been proposed by the Member for the USSR. I had had a detailed survey made of the results achieved in carrying out this directive and informed the Council Members as to the numbers of persons purged in the various Government agencies and positions by the Japanese Government, broken down by categories, from the Privy Council down through presidents, deans and principals of universities, colleges, and other schools. My remarks appear on page 3 et seq., of the verbatim minutes. In all, approximately 186,000 individuals have been purged.
The British Commonwealth Member inquired as to the suitability of entrusting the Japanese Government with carrying out the purge directive. I replied, in explaining the customary and successful policy of using the Japanese Government to every extent practicable, that: “I thought that in the light of the circumstances, it had done a good job.”
The Member for the USSR asked when the review of the Japanese Government’s action on the above-mentioned directive was to be completed. After some discussion, I stated that “the process of checking was a continuous one; a process without end; watchfulness and surveillance in regard to new officials appointed, old officials replaced, and new persons elected to office, as a process of checking, would continue until the end of the Occupation.”
As there was no other item on the Agenda, I then proposed adjournment. At this juncture, the Soviet Member announced that he wished to make a statement on the “Commission of the Investigation of the Causes which Led Japan into War and to Defeat.” This proposal was not on the Agenda and the Member for the USSR was out of order but as he was supported by the British Commonwealth Member and the Chinese Member I stated that, of course, I was willing to hear what he had to say. The Soviet Member then read a statement on the subject which appears on page 12 et seq., of the verbatim minutes.
The Soviet Member then raised two other topics which were not on the Agenda.
As one of the fundamental rules of procedure had been broken by one Member who was supported in his action by two other Members, I felt it desirable that the Council’s procedural process should be [Page 301] reviewed and therefore called a special meeting of the Council for Tuesday, August 13, to discuss procedural matters.
Respectfully yours,