894.30/7–1346
Memorandum by the Assistant Chief of the Division of Japanese Affairs (Emmerson) to the Deputy Director of the Office of Far Fastern Affairs (Penfield)
Subject: Attached note from the Soviet Embassy87 regarding the disposition of Japanese combatant vessels.
The Soviet Embassy’s note refers to Mr. Kennan’s letter of April 5 to Lozovski but ignores the supplementary communication made in a letter to Lozovski dated May 8. In asking that this supplementary note be communicated to the Soviet Government, the JCS stated that they were “apprehensive that the phrasing of the note which has been communicated to the Government of the USSR [letter of April 5 referred to above]88 may invite the submission of arbitrary demands for shipping for undisclosed or vague purposes which may be a source of embarrassment for SCAP and the United States”. (SWNCC 186/13).
In his letter to General MacArthur of June 3, General Derevyanko did what JCS had feared when he submitted a list of vessels which he asked be turned over to the Soviet Command “for the execution of problems concerning the complete capitulation of Japan in regions occupied by the Soviet armies”. Mr. Atcheson replied on June 14 that SCAP had not received instructions relative to the final disposition of Japanese naval and merchant vessels, that such ships were now being used for repatriation purposes, and that no allocations of ships to the Soviet Command could be made until SCAP had been “informed as to the specific purposes for which the use of Japanese shipping is required by the Soviet Command.” (Tokyo despatch No. 483, July 2).89
The Soviets claim that they submitted information regarding Japanese shipping in their possession in a letter addressed by General Derevyanko to SCAP on April 12. SCAP comments that this letter “is too general in terms to be helpful” (CM–IN–2173, 11 June 1946).
The problem is briefly as follows: The U.S. Government has agreed that it is appropriate to assign Japanese vessels to repatriation work and other tasks connected with the implementation of the Japanese surrender in areas occupied by Soviet forces and has suggested that [Page 559] the Soviet member of the Allied Council request SCAP to assign Japanese vessels to these tasks. (SWNCC 186/12).
However, the U.S. Government has also made it clear that a request for assignment of Japanese vessels to Soviet areas should be accompanied by sufficient data “both as to the amount of captured Japanese shipping already in the possession of the Soviet command and as to the purposes for which additional Japanese shipping is required by the Soviet command.” (SWNCC 186/13).
The Soviets have now requested the assignment of Japanese vessels and claim that they have submitted data regarding the amount of Japanese ships in their possession and describe the purpose for which the shipping is required as “the execution of problems concerning the complete capitulation of Japan in regions occupied by the Soviet armies”.
A reply to the Soviet Ambassador along the following lines is suggested:
The Secretary of State presents his compliments to His Excellency the Ambassador of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and has the honor to refer to his note of July 13, 1946 regarding the assignment of Japanese vessels to fulfill tasks related to the surrender of Japan.
The Ambassador’s attention is called to the communication made to the Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs by the United States Embassy in Moscow on May 8 in which it was stated that “a request for the assignment of Japanese vessels, in addition to those now in possession of the Soviet command, for repatriation of Japanese nationals and other purposes connected with the implementation of the Japanese surrender, should be accompanied by sufficient data, both as to the amount of captured Japanese shipping already in the possession of the Soviet command and as to the purposes for which additional Japanese shipping is required by the Soviet command, to permit the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers to make an equitable assignment of vessels, from total available resources recovered from the Japanese, to the various tasks to be accomplished.”
While General Derevyanko conveyed certain information to SCAP regarding Japanese vessels now in the possession of the Soviet Command, incidental to discussions of repatriation from and to Northern Korea, complete and specific information was not provided. Furthermore SCAP has not been furnished specific information regarding the tasks to be performed by the Japanese vessels requested by the Soviet Government, lacking which he cannot make an allocation which will fulfill the exact requirements to be met and will at the same time take into consideration the problems of repatriation and implementation of the Japanese surrender in all areas of the Far East.