740.00119 FEAC/9–849
Memorandum by the Director of the Office of Far Eastern Affairs (Butterworth) to the United States Representative on the Far Eastern Commission (McCoy)
Should the other members of the Far Eastern Commission query the United States Member as to the basis for the recent press reports that consular arrangements are to be established between the United States and Japan, the United States Member is authorized to reply as follows:
“As the members of the Commission know, the United States on April 21, 1949 introduced into the Commission a proposal ‘that SCAP, subject to his discretion and continued control, should permit Japan to participate with other nations or groups of nations in such international relations, conventions, meetings, consular arrangements or other bilateral or multilateral accords as Japan may be invited to enter into, accede to, attend or participate in and as SCAP shall consider to be in the interests of the occupation.’
“It is the hope of my Government that the other member governments of the Far Eastern Commission will soon agree to take action indicating the desire of the Far Eastern Commission to encourage the progressive resumption by Japan of some international responsibilities. One of the principal aims of the occupation is to encourage the development in Japan of respect for the rights of other nations. This aim can be more readily achieved if Japan is permitted, under the guidance of SCAP, to engage in certain international relationships.
“My Government understands that SCAP has been undertaking studies to determine in what way the Japanese Government under his control may enter into arrangements with other governments for the appointment of trade representatives and officers having consular type functions who could take care of the numerous property and citizenship matters which have accumulated since the war.”
[Page 850]Should the United States Member be pressed to indicate whether the United States Government would enter into arrangements of the above nature with the Japanese Government even though the Far Eastern Commission fails to approve a policy decision to that effect, the United States Member is authorized to reply as follows:
“I cannot give any indication now as to the future action of the United States Government in this connection. However, as you know, the position of my Government is that SCAP already has sufficient discretionary powers under existing policy decisions of the Far Eastern Commission to permit Japanese participation in international relationships. Nevertheless, the United States Government hopes that the Far Eastern Commission will assume the leadership in this matter.”