894.30/1–348
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador of the Soviet Union ( Novikov )
The Secretary of State presents his compliments to His Excellency the Ambassador of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and has the honor to refer to his note of January 3, 1948 regarding the disposition of certain combatant vessels of the former Japanese Navy.
Reference is made to the agreement reached in October 1945 between the Governments of the United States, Great Britain, China and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics that all submarines and large surface vessels, above destroyer size, of the former Japanese Navy would be destroyed, and that destroyers and surface combatant vessels of lower tonnage would be divided equally among the four powers. On February 24, 1947 the Secretary addressed a note to the Soviet Ambassador1 in which it was stated that the United States Government had been informed by the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers that certain vessels of the Japanese fleet were then available for division among the four powers. There were attached to this note three tentative lists showing the probable disposition of former Japanese naval vessels with the exception of submarines and combatant vessels larger than destroyers. One tentative list included vessels classified “combatant and of destroyer tonnage or less” which were damaged, wrecked, sunk or required more than sixty days to place in operable condition and which were to be scrapped. A second list enumerated in four lots the vessels reported operable and available for [Page 963] disposition as of June 18, 1946. One hundred and thirty-five vessels have been divided to date. A third list included vessels classified “combatant and of destroyer tonnage or less” which were operable or could be made operable within a period of sixty days and which would be delivered as soon as they became available. The Soviet Government accepted the proposal of the United States in its note to the Department of March 10, 19472 to the effect that the division of these ships should be entered upon without delay.
On October 28, 1947, in a memorandum for the Soviet Member of the Allied Council for Japan, the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers referred to the fact that one hundred and thirty-five vessels had already been divided and stated that: “It is not contemplated that further deliveries of these vessels can be made for a considerable period of months in view of the present employment of the remaining vessels in occupation duties and other tasks required in implementation of the Japanese surrender. The Soviet Member, Allied Council for Japan, will be advised sufficiently in advance of any future division to allow for designation of representatives to participate in the inspection and drawing”. A similar communication was addressed to the Chiefs of the United Kingdom and Chinese Missions in Japan.
It is the view of the United States Government that the action of the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers in deferring the final disposition of these vessels neither contradicts nor violates the agreement of the four powers in October 1945 regarding the disposition of combatant vessels of the former Japanese Navy. The Secretary of State indicated in his note of February 24, 1947 that vessels other than those immediately subject to division would be distributed only as they became available. The Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers has stated that the remaining vessels are presently employed in occupation duties and other tasks required in implementation of the Japanese surrender. The United States Government considers that the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers has the authority to defer the final disposition of the vessels as long as those vessels are in his judgment necessary for the performance of occupation duties or other tasks required in the implementation of the Japanese surrender.
Copies of this note are being transmitted to the British and Chinese Ambassadors.