Foreign Relations of the United States, 1949, The Far East and Australasia, Volume VII, Part 2

894.628/7–2749

The Acting Political Adviser in Japan (Sebald) to the Secretary of State

restricted
No. 499

Tokyo, July 27, 1949.
[Received August 2.]

The Acting Political Adviser has the honor to enclose¹ five copies of a directive issued by General Headquarters, Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers, to the Japanese Government (Scapin 6693–A of July 7, 1949) authorizing Japanese whaling expeditions in the Antarctic for 1949–1950 season. Japanese whaling operations in the Antarctic will be conducted on a basis substantially similar to that of the past season: two fleets are authorized and provisions for control of the expedition are laid down. The enclosed directive also instructs the Japanese Government to make a survey of each vessel in the expedition which will carry liquid cargo in order to insure the absence of structural deficiencies.

The enclosed directive has been issued as a “Scapin A” or administrative instruction. In this way, its distribution is considerably more limited than that of ordinary Headquarters directives; for example, the missions in Japan representing foreign governments do not receive copies of administrative Scapins. Headquarters officials are now considering means whereby notice of the coming expedition may be given to interested nations.

1. Not printed.