Foreign Relations of the United States, 1946, The Far East, Volume VIII

740.00119 Control (Japan)/8–2246: Telegram

The Political Adviser in Japan (Atcheson) to the Secretary of State

secret

Tokyo, August 22, 1946.
[Received August 24—3:54 p.m.]

381. Urtel 455, August 20.⁸⁰

1. We have endeavored to inform Dept in advance of any proposed statements which might be of interest and in future shall make special effort to formulate such statements at earliest possible moment.

2. We are at loss to understand British request that proposal be withdrawn from agenda⁸¹ as opposition thereto by British Commonwealth member would have killed the proposal. That the proposal would not receive approval was foregone conclusion from initial opposition thereto manifested by Soviet member at council meeting August 13. At August 21 meeting, Soviet member and British Commonwealth member (as they often have in the past in opposition US) took similar position that matter was outside purview of the council, although we had carefully explained that non-members to be invited would merely enter discussions informally and unofficially and that proposal had not been put forward for governmental discussion.

3. The British démarche to Dept raises in our minds some question of what British policy is with regard to the occupation. From reading of Far Eastern Commission minutes we have impression that British in Washington are quite solidly behind us in major problems. Our impression of new British Ambassador, Tokyo, is that he (and he assures us his Govt also) is most anxious to cooperate with and support this headquarters. But the attitude clearly manifested over long period by British Commonwealth member of Council (an Australian) is almost diametrically opposite. He professes desire to cooperate but neither his actions nor public attitude in the Council have reflected any affirmative desire to do so and have on contrary shown him eager to seize every opportunity no matter how small to criticize the occupation and to air or imply criticism of the actions of the Supreme Commander and of this headquarters. While his activities in this respect have not individually been of sufficient news interest to make them the subject of press despatches his repeated needling of the chairman, frequent facetious imputation of non-cooperation by SCAP et cetera, and persistence in seeking in Council meetings for ways to bring out criticism of headquarters and the occupation have made him in some respects a greater nuisance than Soviet member has been.

General MacArthur and I had thought our proposal was fully in line with British policy in regard to Japan which, we had assumed, had merely been obscured by the British Commonwealth representative on the Allied Council who, we have thought, was probably more strongly influenced by his instructions from Australian Govt than by those from British Govt. British démarche now leaves us somewhat bewildered as to what British policy actually is here. We wonder whether the British representations to Dept do not provide desirable opportunity to indicate informally to the British in Washington that we would appreciate concrete and practicable manifestations in connection with Allied Council matters of affirmative British cooperation and support in Japan.

At present we lack such affirmative support from any of Allies represented on Council. The Chinese member is friendly but apparently hesitates to give us open support if it would involve him in any issue. The Soviet member and the British Commonwealth member, whether by arrangement or not, make in effect a strong combination in opposition to American interests which are wholly in conformity with announced and agreed upon Allied interests and objectives.

4. General MacArthur and I do not have any objection to Dept making such use of foregoing as may be deemed advisable in informal conversations with British officials.⁸²

Atcheson

80. Not printed.
81. See note of August 19 from the British Embassy, p. 294.
82. The Acting Chief of the Division of Japanese Affairs (Borton) on August 28 wrote as follows: “The suggestion that British representation to the Department might provide desirable opportunity to indicate to them informally that we would appreciate concrete and practicable manifestations on the Allied Council of British cooperation and support in Japan was considered at a conference in Mr. Acheson’s office. It was decided that no useful purpose would be served by taking the matter up with the British.” (740.00119 Control (Japan)/8–2246)