800.00 Summaries/9–946: Circular telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to Certain Diplomatic Officers2
USSR has informally agreed discuss within FEC or at special reparation conference US proposal on Jap external assets provided we agree to and support Sov reservations to original proposal as follows: (1) In distributing tot amt reparation available from Japan definite share be allocated USSR without relation war booty taken by USSR from Manchuria which is subject for settlement betw China USSR; (2) former Jap assets South Sakhalin and Kuriles not be considered available general reparation purposes as these territories now part of USSR as per agreement betw USSR, US, UK;3 (3) Jap assets Korea remain there for use Korean people; (4) reparation shares be determined on “broad political basis” taking account damage suffered and contributions to defeat Japan; (5) claims Allied nationals for damages property loss Jap or Jap occupied territories or territories ceded to Allied countries to be met from common reparation pool. Our preliminary view is 3, 4, 5 acceptable, 2 difficult but not insoluble, 1 presents very difficult problem. Amb Smith’s comment Sov proposal has been asked.
- At Canberra, The Hague, London, Manila, Moscow, Nanking, and Wellington. The text was repeated to Tokyo in telegram 514, October 3, 5 p.m., in reply to Tokyo’s telegram 437, October 2, not printed.↩
- Signed at Yalta, February 11, 1945, Foreign Relations, The Conferences at Malta and Yalta, 1945, p. 984.↩