18. Editorial Note

At the National Security Council meeting, March 10, during discussion of item 2 on the agenda, “Significant World Developments Affecting U.S. Security”, Allen Dulles brought up the projected Japanese-Soviet peace treaty negotiations:

“Mr. Dulles then noted the proposal of the Japanese to conduct conversations with the Soviets in the near future in New York relative to a formal treaty of peace. [1 sentence (1½ lines of source text) not declassified] They professed to hope for the return of at least two of the Kurile Islands, as well as the Habbomai and Shikotan Islands. Mr. Dulles thought there was some slight chance that the Soviets might return the Habbomais, but it was not their normal practice ever to relinquish territories which they had once succeeded in occupying.

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“Secretary Dulles observed that if it ever transpired that the Soviets gave up any significant part of the Kurile Island archipelago, the United States would at once experience heavy Japanese pressure for the return of the Ryukyu Islands to Japanese control. While it would be contrary to experience to expect the Soviets to return any of their present possessions to the Japanese, they might conceivably be induced to do so precisely in order to increase tension between the United States and Japan.” (Memorandum of discussion by Gleason, March 11; Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, NSC Records)

The talks were not held in New York; instead they began in London on June 1.