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

740.00119 FEAC/2–449

Memorandum of Conversation, by Mr. Robert A. Fearey, of the Division of Northeast Asian Affairs

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[ Washington ,] February 4, 1949.

In accordance with Mr. Allison’s and Mr. Bond’s¹ instructions I called Colonel Milner² today to inform him that the Department had decided in light of the considerations advanced in General Eberle’s memorandum of January 27 to Mr. Draper³ that it would not press its proposal for rescission of the pre-FEC “U.S. Initial Post-Surrender Policy for Japan” (JCS Serial No. 10)⁴ and “Basic Initial Post-Surrender Directive” (JCS Serial No. 18).⁵ I stated that it was our view, however, that it should be made unmistakably clear in future instructions to General MacArthur that the instructions are to be controlling in any respects in which they may be at variance or in conflict with these early directives.

Colonel Milner thanked me for the information and said that he would inform Mr. Draper.

1. Niles W. Bond, Assistant Chief of the Division of Northeast Asian Affairs.
2. Col. W. W. Milner, P & O (Plans and Operations), Department of the Army.
3. Brig. Gen. George L. Eberle, Department of the Army; memorandum not attached to file copy.
4. September 22, 1945; see Foreign Relations, 1945, vol. vi, p. 720.
5. November 8, 1945; for text, see ibid., p. 815.