Office of the Historian

740.0011 P.W. (Peace)/8–1847

Memorandum by Rear Admiral E. T. Wooldridge, Assistant Chief of Naval Operations for Politico-Military Affairs, Navy Department, to the Chief of the Division of Northeast Asian Affairs (Borton)

secret
Ser. 00496P35
Washington, 18 August 1947.

Subject: Draft Treaty of Peace with Japan.

1.
In accordance with your request the following informal comments are submitted after preliminary examination of the subject paper. These comments are intended to cover only the highlights in the Draft Treaty. The paper is under continuing study and further comments will be forthcoming.
2.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff … have indicated30 the need for retention of the Nansei Shoto31 south of latitude 29° North, Nanpo Shoto south of Sofu Gan, and Marcus Island under United Nations strategic trusteeship administered by the U.S. The Joint-Strategic Survey Committee is now reviewing the matter of control needed by the U.S. over these islands. Therefore, the territorial limits of Japan, as specified in Chapter I paragraph 1, do not coincide with the views of the JCS as indicated above.
3.
The Navy Department desires base rights at Yokosuka and necessary air fields to provide protection for the base.
4.
  • (a) It is noted that, under the provisions of Chapter V, the demilitarization and disarmament of Japan is to be complete except for the formation and employment of such detachments of Japanese civil police, including coast guard, and their equipment with such types and quantities of imported small arms as may be essential to the maintenance of public security.
  • (b) Chapter IV Article 23, stipulates withdrawal of Allied military forces from Japan beginning immediately upon the coming into force of the Treaty and to be completed within six months.
  • (c) Should action be taken in accordance with 4(a) and (b) above, Japan will be completely unable to defend herself against outside aggression.
  • (d) It would seem advisable therefore, under existing world conditions, to provide means of protecting Japanese territory by continuing the military occupation until such time as the United Nations has adequate forces for performing this function.
5.
In view of the foregoing, it is recommended that the subject paper be submitted to the State-War-Navy Coordinating Committee and to the Joint Chiefs of Staff prior to its submission to the Committee of Three.32
E. T. Wooldridge
  1. In a memorandum to President Truman, dated October 19, 1946; with the President’s approval, copies were sent two days later to the Secretaries of State, War, and Navy; not printed.↩
  2. Ryukyu Islands.↩
  3. The Department on August 21 asked SWNCC to consider the question of disposition of Japanese outlying islands as a matter of priority (740.0011 PW(Peace)/8–1847).↩