179. Memorandum From the Secretary of State to the President1
SUBJECT
- Repatriation of some Bonin Islanders
At the conclusion of our meeting this afternoon2 you asked for a formula to be developed which you might consider regarding the [Page 362] return of long resident Bonin Islanders to those localities in the Bonin Islands where we do not have important military installations. The exact number to be repatriated would have to be determined by the United States after making a survey as to the number of islanders the available areas will support. The persons to be selected for repatriation should be genuine Bonin Islanders who were well established Island residents before World War II. They would also have to be screened to establish that they were returning to the Islands for the purpose of establishing an orderly life.
It is suggested that in our discussions with Mr. Kishi we could inform him of the above and then propose to him the following screening and selection process:
- (a)
- The United States determines the number who could be repatriated and transmits this figure to the Japanese Government;
- (b)
- The Japanese Government determines which families from the Bonins (but not including Iwojima) should be repatriated using length of family residence on the Islands, desire to return, and security factors as principal criteria;
- (c)
- Visa applications are then submitted to the United States Embassy Tokyo for those selected;
- (d)
- The United States will issue visas in accordance with usual screening and other procedures;
- (e)
- The Japanese Government will defray all costs of transportations and of proper resettlement of the Islanders;
- (f)
- The Japanese Government agrees to deal with all complaints that might arise out of this process.
- Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, Dulles–Herter Series. Secret. The Department of State copy of this memorandum indicates that it was drafted by MacArthur. (Department of State, Central Files, 794C.0221/6–1857)↩
- See Document 177.↩