740.0011 PW (Peace)/11–449
The Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Butterworth) to the Acting Political Adviser in Japan (Sebald)
Dear Bill: As you know, it was agreed between Secretary Acheson and Foreign Minister Bevin during the latter’s visit here in September that we would provide the British with a Japanese treaty draft by [Page 895] early December, and that they, if they found the draft satisfactory, would attempt at the Commonwealth Foreign Ministers’ Conference early next year to persuade the other Commonwealth Governments to accept it.
As a first step in the preparation of the draft Mr. Webb as Acting Secretary wrote to Secretary Johnson on October 3 requesting the Department of Defense’s views on the essential security requirements of the United States in a peace treaty with Japan. Work on this phase of the matter is proceeding.
Meanwhile, preparation of a treaty draft, minus the chapter on security, has proceeded within this Department as a matter of urgency. A first draft was compiled on October 13, and a second draft, prepared within the Bureau of Far Eastern Affairs with the participation of the Economic, Legal, and other concerned Offices and Bureaus and bearing their initial approval, has now been completed. The draft has not received the approval of Secretary Acheson.
The draft is presently undergoing a further hammering process which will doubtless continue up to the moment that it is presented to the British. In view of the limited time available, however, I am sending the enclosed copies1 to you at this stage for your comments and with the request that you show it at once to General MacArthur for his views and suggestions. It would be appreciated it your and General MacArthur’s initial impressions could be telegraphed as soon as possible, with more detailed and tehchnical suggestions following as they become available. Copies of the draft are being furnished today to the Defense Department with the information that the draft is being provided at the same time to you and General MacArthur.
The draft is accompanied by a commentary setting forth its underlying concepts and containing a number of explanatory notes on particular articles.
- Dated November 2, not printed (740.0011 PW (Peace)/11–749).↩