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

894.628/1–1949

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

confidential
No. 54

Washington, April 7, 1949.

The Secretary of State refers to the Mission’s despatch No. 34 of January 19, 1949¹ on the subject, “Movements of Japanese Fishing Vessels Outside Authorized Area”. In the final sentence of this despatch, the Department’s instructions are invited as to what type of reply might appropriately be made to Soviet complaints of alleged violations by Japanese vessels of “Soviet territorial waters”.

The Department is in agreement with the Officer in Charge that the Soviet Member, Allied Council for Japan, is exploiting the opportunity which these alleged violations afford to advance Soviet territorial claims to islands adjacent to Northern Hokkaido. The Department supports the intention of the Officer in Charge to avoid, in the course of Headquarters correspondence with the Soviet Member, any acknowledgment of Soviet territorial claims. No objection is perceived to replying to further Soviet complaints on this subject, provided no implied or direct expression of United States views on territorial questions is given.

1. Not printed.