Foreign Relations of the United States, 1950, East Asia and the Pacific, Volume VI

694.001/11–2050

Unsigned Memorandum of Conversation From Departmental Files¹

secret

[New York,] November 20, 1950.

Subject: Japanese Peace Treaty

Participants:	Mr. Yakov Malik, USSR Delegation
	Mr. Troyanowsky, USSR translator
	Mr. John Foster Dulles, USA Delegation
	Mr. John M. Allison ” ”
	Colonel C. Stanton Babcock

The conversations were characterized by a very definite attempt on Mr. Malik’s part to create a friendly atmosphere. In contrast to the meeting held on October 26, during which his attitude while not unfriendly was thoroughly business-like, Mr. Malik spent the first five or ten minutes joking and talking about mutual friends and acquaintances. Once or twice during the course of the discussion he digressed to talk about generalities and seemed to make an effort to engage each member of the U.S. group in a brief personal conversation. He gave the impression of wanting to avoid detailed discussion of points on which the United States arid the Soviet Union were in disagreement.

Mr. Malik began the proceedings by having Mr. Troyanowsky translate orally an Aide-Mémoire² which consisted of six questions pertaining to the expression of United States views in regard to a Japanese Peace Treaty as contained in the memorandum furnished by the United States to each member nation of the Far Eastern Commission. (A translation of the Aide-Mémoire is attached hereto as an enclosure.)

After the reading, and after Mr. Malik had handed the Aide-Mémoire to Mr. Dulles, the latter asked if Mr. Malik expected an oral reply or would prefer a formal written memorandum in answer to the questions contained in the Aide-Mémoire. Mr. Malik said that he preferred to have the answers in writing.³

Mr. Malik then asked Mr. Dulles what his views were with regard to the question concerning participation by the “Central Chinese People’s Government” in the discussions of a Japanese Peace Treaty. Was the United States prepared “to accept the possibility that a Peace Treaty could be signed without the participation of the Central Chinese People’s Government?” Mr. Dulles replied that the conversations held so far had been diplomatic conversations and that, therefore, the United States had held discussions with the Nationalist Government as the government which this country recognizes. As to future procedure, Mr. Dulles said that he would prefer to answer that question after he had had an opportunity for more consideration of the matter.

At this point there ensued some discussion as to the numbering of the questions. The United States participants had been under the impression that the question under discussion was No. 7. Mr. Malik pointed out that the question was the “second part” of No. 6 and seemed to feel that there was a connection between the first part of No. 6 (dealing with unrestricted trade for Japan), and the second part (dealing with Chinese Communist participation in the Treaty).

Mr. Dulles then reminded Mr. Malik that, with respect to that part of question No. 2 which refers to the disposition of southern Sakhalin and the Kuriles, he had explained the United States position on this matter during the previous conversation (October 26, 1950).⁴

Mr. Allison then asked Mr. Malik for an explanation of the meaning of the first part of question No. 6. Mr. Malik replied that the USSR wanted to know whether the United States felt that in the post-treaty period Japan should have unrestricted opportunities for peaceful trade and access to raw materials. He said that there was nothing in the United States Memorandum which indicated the United States views on this subject.

Mr. Malik, before leaving, said that there might be other points on which the USSR would want clarification, and that he would perhaps submit further questions after the United States had received replies from some of the other governments concerned.

1. The format of the original is similar to that of several other memoranda of conversation signed or initialed by Colonel Babcock.
2. On November 24 the Soviet Government released in Moscow the texts of this aide-mémoire and of the United States seven-point memorandum of September 11. The United States thereupon released text of the latter and an unofficial translation of the former, also on the 24th. Both are printed in Department of State Bulletin, December 4, 1950, p. 881.

3. Text of the American reply, delivered to Mr. Malik on December 27 and released to the press December 28, is printed in Department of State Bulletin, January 8, 1951, p. 65.

   File 694.001 for December 1950 contains a number of documents that pertain to the drafting and clearance of the reply.

4. For memorandum, see p. 1325.