894.414/1–2147: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Political Adviser in Japan ( Atcheson )
18. Brit and Chinese FonOffs agreed sometime ago with Dept plan for treatment Jap archives, consular and diplomatic property, etc., [Page 166] outlined Deptels 6148, 6149 Aug 20 to London repeated Tokyo as 456, 457.13 Soviet comment now reed states no objection in principle, offers minor readily concedable changes in text proposed note and continues (in translation).
“Moreover, Soviet Govt would consider it necessary that central Japanese archives (of Cabinet of Ministers, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and other Ministries, General Staffs of Army and Navy, Parliament, Imperial Court, etc.) located in Japan, should be available for study by representatives of four allied powers, USSR, USA, Great Britain and China. In this connection Soviet Govt assumes that necessary instructions will be issued by Govt of US to the Supreme Commander in Chief of allied powers in Japan regarding access also for representatives of USSR to study of central Japanese archives on an equal level with representatives of US.”
Your comment and that of SCAP re this proposal USSR and re present procedures for use Jap archives urgently requested.
- Neither printed.↩