740.00119 Control (Japan)/10–648
Memorandum by the Assistant Secretary of State for Occupied Areas (Saltzman) to the united States Representative on the Far Eastern Commission (McCoy)
Subject: Suzuki Interview in U.S. News and World Report
When questioned as to the status of the Suzuki affair, you are requested to state that your Government has not as yet completed its consideration of and action on the questions arising from this incident.
[Page 857]You are authorized, however, to inform the Commission of two preliminary measures that have been already taken by your Government, as follows:
- 1.
- With reference to all Japanese whose travel from Japan may be duly authorized by SCAP, SCAP has been informed of the support currently being accorded by this Government to the pertinent provisions of policy proposals now under consideration by the Commission, specifically to para. 3 of FEC 240/16 and to para. 1d of 293/8.
- 2.
- With regard to those Japanese who will travel to the United States, this Government is taking action to insure that they are advised to exercise discretion in making any addresses or statements or in giving interviews of a public character in order to avoid such comment on policy matters as might be capable of interpretation as propaganda activity.
For your confidential information, Mr. Suzuki has been located at the head office of Readers Digest in Pleasantville, New York, and we are making arrangements to talk with him and to officials of the Reader’s Digest, his sponsor in this country, and to a representative of U.S. News and World Report, explaining the unfortunate effect of his statement published in the U.S. News. It is our present feeling that a caution of this kind will be adequate to prevent any recurrence of such an incident on the part of Mr. Suzuki and that it will be unnecessary to send him back to Japan.
If pressed as to action taken or contemplated by your Government with respect to Mr. Suzuki personally, you should state that you have no further instructions at this time, except to emphasize that your Government has not as yet completed its action on this problem.