740.00119 [Control] (Japan)/2–1649
Memorandum by the Director of the Office of Far Eastern Affairs (Butterworth) to the Secretary of State
In view of the pressure of your other concerns, I have hitherto avoided adding to your weekend reading. However, I think you should [Page 709] not be unaware that the excessive interference and assumption of governmental responsibility by SCAP is making the Japanese increasingly restless although our military authorities in Japan seem oblivious of the trend. NSC 13 is not in major part being implemented and upon the return of Mr. Dodge early next month, the whole situation must be reviewed.
In the meantime, I recommend your reading the attached memorandum from Mr. Reischauer,1 who is a professor at Harvard, former State Department and G–2 officer, author of several books on Japan, and a very perceiving and well-informed observer of the Japanese scene. There is also attached Mr. Bishop’s report on his impressions2 gathered when he accompanied Mr. Royall to Japan and a memorandum of his conversation with General MacArthur.3 There is attached for hasty perusal a memorandum written by one of our Japanese language officers on the occupation.4
I had lunch today with General Pechkoff, the French representative in Tokyo who is a diplomat, a soldier, a former administrator in Syria and, incidentally, the illegitimate son of Gorki. He, too, thinks it is important that we change rapidly the character of the occupation if a peace treaty is not to come to pass in the near future. Pechkoff is a very shrewd and interesting man and since he will be here until Thursday, I hope that you will have an opportunity to receive him.5