761.94114/4–1348
The Acting Political Adviser in Japan (Sebald) to the Secretary of State
No. 227
[Received April 20.]
Sir: I have the honor to refer to this Mission’s previous despatches on the subject of the repatriation of Japanese from Soviet controlled territory and to report that the Office of the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers has recently received two communications on this subject signed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Japanese Diet, the President of the House of Councillors and the Chairman of the Standing Committee for Repatriation of the House of Representatives. One letter is addressed to “His Excellency Premier Joseph Stalin,1 U.S.S.R.” and the other to “His Excellency President [Page 739] N. Shvernick,2 The Executive, the Supreme Council. U.S.S.R.” The letters which are identic, are both dated March 27, 1948, and they are accompanied by one set of folios containing the signatures of the Members of the House of Councillors and the House of Representatives.
In these communications the request is made by the Houses of the Japanese Diet that the Repatriation Agreement of December 19, 1946 be revised to make possible an increase in the number of persons repatriated monthly, and assurance is given that the Japanese Government has reception facilities to accommodate 150,000 persons per month.
Both letters have this day been forwarded to the Soviet Member, Allied Council for Japan, for onward transmittal to the addressees.
A copy of these identic communications is forwarded herewith as an enclosure.3
Respectfully yours,