740.00119 Control (Japan)/1–2847
The Assistant Secretary of State (Hilldring) to the Chairman of the Far Eastern Commission (McCoy)
My Dear General McCoy: The Australian representative on the Far Eastern Commission Committee No. 4 has proposed the creation of an International Advisory Board, to be composed of educational experts representing the different nations of the FEC, and to serve under General MacArthur on the Civil Information and Education Section of the SCAP Staff. It is understood that the proposal has the support of the New Zealand, Soviet and Chinese representatives on the Committee, and that the United Kingdom representative, although [Page 170] not pressing for such a Board, strongly urges, nevertheless, that some way be found to permit representatives of other countries to work on SCAP staff. The United States representative on Committee No. 4, Mr. F. A. Schuler, Jr., of the State Department, urgently desires instructions as to the position he should take at the forthcoming meeting of the Committee.
It is assumed that the proposal grows out of SCAP’s original invitation for the nomination of experts by the countries represented in the FEC, to serve on his staff, and the fact that all nominations have been met by statements of General MacArthur that there were no vacancies. The situation, however unsatisfactory to the nations in question, and however embarrassing to the United States, which requested nominations in good faith, will have to be met in the light of the fact that the invitation has now been withdrawn, and that SCAP does not now desire international representation on his staff.
It is the opinion of the Department of State that the United States representative in the FEC should take the position that the present proposal is being made in the wrong forum. The function of the FEC is limited to the formulation of policies, principles and standards to enable Japan to fulfill its obligations under the Terms of Surrender, which formulations are transmitted to the Supreme Commander in the form of directives prepared by the United States. The Supreme Commander alone is charged with the implementation of the directives which express the policy decisions of the Commission. The FEC has no jurisdiction under its Terms of Reference to propose modifications in, or to participate in, the existing control machinery in Japan. In fact, by paragraph II–C of the Terms of Reference the Commission is expressly directed to “proceed from” the fact that an Allied Council for Japan has been formed, and to “respect existing control machinery in Japan”. The Allied Council for Japan, on the other hand, is by its Terms of Reference, established in Tokyo under the Chairmanship of the Supreme Commander, for the express purpose of consulting with and advising the Supreme Commander in regard to “the occupation and control of Japan”, and the implementation of the Terms of Surrender “and of directives supplementary thereto”. If it appears desirable for General MacArthur to have international advice to assist him in the control of Japan in the educational field, it would appear that the proposal should be made to the Allied Council for Japan, which is already established in Japan to advise the Supreme Commander in regard to the control of Japan.
It would be unthinkable for the FEC to sponsor another international advisory body in Japan to advise General MacArthur on educational matters. Each member of the Allied Council for Japan is entitled to have an appropriate staff of military and civilian advisers, [Page 171] and the nations represented on the Allied Council are entirely free to attach educational experts to their respective staffs, and to consult with and advise the Supreme Commander in this field as in any other. Any proposition that these educational experts be actually attached to General MacArthur’s staff should come from the Allied Council for Japan.
It is recommended that the American representative on the FEC oppose the present proposal as not being within the competency of the FEC.
Sincerely yours,