740.0011 PW (Peace)/8–1447: Airgram
The Chargé in the United Kingdom (Clark) to the Secretary of State
A–1778. 1. During an informal conversation with MacDermot, Head, Japan and Pacific Department, Foreign Office, on August 12, 1947, an Embassy officer inquired whether the Foreign Office had made any study of the Soviet contention that consideration of the Japanese peace treaty should come within the purview of the Council of Foreign Ministers (in this instance, the US, UK, China and the Soviet Union).
2. MacDermot responded that following the Soviet reply to the US proposal for an 11-power conference on the Japanese peace treaty, the Foreign Office had engaged in some research on the question. He said that the Foreign Office had been unable to find any provision or understanding in the decisions or minutes of the Potsdam Conference conferring on the Council of Foreign Ministers the specific right to consider the Japanese peace treaty. MacDermot went on to say that although the question had been raised at the Conference of the Foreign Ministers held in London in September 1945, no agreement had been reached on the subject. As for the Moscow Meeting of the Foreign Ministers in December 1945, the Foreign Office had found nothing in the Soviet-Anglo-American Communiqué and Report relating specifically to the subject. In any event, MacDermot continued, the Foreign Office regarded the Moscow Meeting as an ad hoc affair at best.
3. Based on its examination of the relevant papers and decisions, the position of the Foreign Office was, MacDermot said, that there is no written agreement or understanding which requires that the Council of Foreign Ministers shall confer on the Japanese peace treaty.
4. MacDermot said that, as far as he was aware, the UK would be willing to proceed with the US proposed multi-power conference on the Japanese peace treaty irrespective of the Soviet attitude toward such a conference.