894.017/7–2448
The Acting Political Adviser in Japan (Sebald) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 2.]
The Acting Political Adviser has the honor to forward herewith five copies of a letter from General MacArthur to the Prime Minister dated July 22, 19481 concerning the National Public Service Law.2 This letter was released by the Public Information Office, General Headquarters, Far East Command on July 23, 1948 on the request of the Prime Minister.
The letter was written to clarify General MacArthur’s views regarding certain aspects of the National Public Service Law particularly with respect to employees in public service engaging in labor disputes. The letter specifically states that “no person holding a position by appointment or employment in the public service of Japan or in any instrumentality thereof should resort to strike or engage in delaying or other dispute tactics which tend to impair the efficiency of governmental operations.”
General MacArthur states that he feels the National Public Service Law should be comprehensively revised immediately in order to bring it within the framework of the concept outlined in this letter. The National Public Service Law was not enacted at the last session of the Diet.
An extraordinary session of the Diet will be called to discuss measures for revision of the National Public Service Law in accordance with General MacArthur’s letter.
Japanese reaction to the proposed revision of the National Public Service Law will be analyzed in a subsequent despatch.3
- Political Reorientation of Japan, p. 581.↩
- Law 120, October 21, 1947, ibid., p. 1022.↩
- Despatch 491, August 3, from Tokyo, reported that SCAP’s recommendation was generally well received. Despatch 503, August 10, from Tokyo, reported the Japanese Cabinet order enforcing the law pending its revision. (894.017/8–348, 8–1048)↩