894.30/1–348
The Embassy of the Soviet Union to the Department of State
No. 258
The Embassy of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics presents its compliments to the Department of State of the United States of [Page 944] America and on instructions from the Soviet Government has the honor to communicate the following.
In October 1945, as is known, an agreement was reached between the Governments of the United States of America, Great Britain, China and the Soviet Union concerning the division on an equal basis among the above-mentioned four countries of the vessels of the former Japanese fleet, beginning with destroyers and surface warships of light tonnage.
In accordance with a subsequent agreement concluded between the four powers in February and March of 1947 the division of 239 warships of the above-mentioned tonnage was begun in the summer of that year. 135 ships were divided, 104 ships remained to be divided. With regard to the remaining 104 ships of the Former Japanese fleet the Staff of the Supreme Commander in Japan General MacArthur by memorandum AG560 (October 28, 1947) GD informed the Soviet Representative in the Allied Council for Japan General Kislenko of the termination of the division of the remaining ships and the postponement of this division to the end of the period of occupation of Japan.
In connection with the fact that this decision of the Staff of the Supreme Commander contradicts the agreement reached earlier between the governments of the four countries, the Soviet representative in the Allied Council for Japan on November 25, 1947 sent a letter to the Staff of the Supreme Commander in which he stated his disagreement with this decision of the Staff of the Supreme Commander and proposed to complete without delay the division of the remaining 104 ships at the present time, guided by the agreed decision of the governments of the four powers on this question. However, the Staff of the Supreme Commander continues to insist on its position and evades the fulfillment of the above-mentioned agreed decision.
The Soviet Government considers it necessary to draw the attention of the Government of the USA to the incorrect activities of the Staff of the Supreme Commander which violate the existing agreement of the governments of the four countries concerning the division of the warships of the former Japanese fleet and proposes that the division of the remaining 104 Japanese warships be completed immediately without postponing their division to a later date.
The Embassy of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics expresses its confidence that appropriate instructions will be given by the Government of the United States of America to the Supreme Commander of the American Forces in Japan concerning the necessity for the immediate completion of the division of the remaining 104 Japanese warships at this time.
[Page 945]Copies of this note are being sent simultaneously to the Embassies of China and the United Kingdom in Washington.