740.0011–P.W. (Peace)/8–647
Memorandum by the Chief of the Division of Northeast Asian Affairs (Borton) to the Counselor of the Department (Bohlen)12
Subject: Draft Treaty of Peace for Japan.
In view of our desire to call a peace conference for Japan as soon as possible and of the probability that such a conference may be held during the second week of September, it is imperative that the Department’s views on the treaty be determined as quickly as possible. There is attached for your consideration a copy of a draft treaty of peace for Japan,13 together with the most important annexes and a copy of a draft disarmament and demilitarization treaty for Japan prepared by a drafting committee composed of representatives of FE, NA, DRF, OE, Le and SPA. In reference to the attached, special attention should be given to Chapter I, Territorial Clauses; Chapter IV, Interim Supervision and Assistance; Chapter V, Disarmament and Demilitarization; and Chapter VIII, Other Economic Clauses as none of these items appear in any of the satellite treaties or the Treaty for Austria. Chapter V is based on a revision of the draft Disarmament and Demilitarization Treaty circulated to the Governments of China, the Soviet Union and the United Kingdom on June 21, 1946.14
The Territorial Clauses (Chapter I) are based on what is believed to be firm United States policy with the exception of the provision concerning the Ryukyu Islands which is under discussion in the Government. Chapters IV and V are based on a conception that continued control is necessary over the Japanese war potential and supervision must continue for the development of democratic processes. They also provide for the establishment of a Council of Ambassadors with two subordinate groups, namely, an Executive Staff and a Commission of Inspection, which it is anticipated will have only a small percentage of the number of persons now connected with SCAP Headquarters. Other Chapters in the treaty follow in general the principles laid down in the satellite and Austrian Treaties.
[Page 479]In view of the urgency of the matter, it is requested that you notify Mr. Borton, FE, Room 3162 by August 12 of any comments you may have on the attached.
- Copies were sent to General Hilldring, Mr. Saltzman, the, Assistant Secretary of State for Economic Affairs (Thorp), the Director of the Office of Special Political Affairs (Rusk), W. Walton Butterworth, of the Office of Far Eastern Affairs, the Legal Adviser (Fahy), the Director of the Policy Planning Staff (Kennan), Rear Adm. E. T. Wooldridge (Assistant Chief of Naval Operations, Navy Department), Maj. Gen. Daniel Noce (Chief, Civil Affairs Division, War Department), Brig. Gen. C. V. R. Schuyler (Plans and Policy Group, Plans and Operations Division, War Department), and Warren S. Hunsberger, of the Division of Research for Far East.↩
- Dated August 5, not printed.↩
- Department of State Bulletin, June 30, 1946, p. 1113.↩