740.0011 PW(Peace)/1–2847
The Ambassador in Australia (Butler) to the Secretary of State
secret
No. 99
Canberra, January 28,
1947.
Sir: I have the honor to refer to the
Department’s telegram no. 279 of December 13, 1946, 7 p.m.,61 wherein I was instructed to
advise Dr. Evatt62 informally and
confidentially that the United States hoped and desired that Australia
would participate on a full and equal basis in the formulation of the
peace treaty with Japan, and to my telegraphic reply, no. 36 of January
28, 1947, 9 a.m.,61
summarizing the content of a letter addressed to me on January 17, 1947
by Dr. Evatt, expressing appreciation of the message referred to above
and outlining his Government’s thoughts with respect to Japanese peace
treaty negotiations. I am forwarding herewith a copy of the text of Dr.
Evatt’s letter.
Respectfully yours,
[Page 447]
[Enclosure]
The Australian Minister for External Affairs
(Evatt)
to the American Ambassador in Australia
(Butler)
secret
Canberra, 17th January
1947.
My Dear Ambassador: Would you kindly
convey to the Secretary of State my thanks for the message of 13th
December in connection with the Japanese peace treaty negotiations
which you communicated to me personally?
The expression of your Government’s desire for Australia’s full and
equal participation in these negotiations is warmly welcomed and we
would attach very great importance to an assurance of the United
States Government’s full support for Australia’s claim to
participate as a principal party in all discussions of the
settlement with Japan including any preliminary or preparatory
discussions.
It will be recalled that our Ambassador in the United States of
America,63 in conversation with the Secretary of State on
December 9th, stressed Australia’s vital interest in the future
arrangements regarding the ex-Japanese Mandated Islands, and
informed him that in any consultations regarding these or other
Japanese island territories Australia would claim a right to
participate as a party principal.64
We have recently been giving preliminary study to the vast and
complex range of questions involved in the settlement with Japan and
are ready at any time to enter into exploratory discussions with
your Government. We would be glad to take up at once, for example,
the question whether the Far Eastern Commission would be the
appropriate body to undertake the drafting and negotiation of the
treaty and if not what would be the most appropriate method for
handling the work.
In our view, the work of drafting and negotiating the settlement with
Japan should be done by those nations who were effective
belligerents in the Japanese war and whose geographical position
gives them paramount interests in the future of the Pacific
Area.
Although it is appreciated that it will be some considerable time
before the actual treaty can be concluded and the occupation forces
withdrawn from Japan, I think the time is near when thought should
be given to the formulation and interchange of views on the form the
treaty should take. I would therefore welcome any suggestions your
Government might wish to make in order to initiate an exchange of
views between representatives of our two Governments. We would of
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course wish the New
Zealand Government to be kept fully in touch with any such
preliminary discussions.
In view of the fact that Australia is in a sense the representative
of the British Commonwealth of Nations chiefly concerned in the
Pacific we are advising the United Kingdom Government of the purport
of the present communication.
Yours sincerely,
