740.00119 Potsdam/7–2745: Telegram
No. 1255
The White House Information
Officer (Ayers) to the President’s Secretary (Ross)
256. OWI domestic and overseas directors, Neil Dalton and Thurman Barnard, request the following be sent you by message:
“Proclamation on Japan handled as follows (All times EWT):
Text received at 3:10 p.m. At 3:32 p.m. given to press through OWI Press Room, White House and State Department simultaneously.
At 4:00 p.m. (5 a.m. Tokyo time) our west coast shortwave transmitters began broadcasting text in English. Highlights broadcast in Japanese at 4:05 p.m. Full text in Japanese not broadcast until translation made by OWFs San Francisco office had been checked by telephone with State Dept language experts in Washington. First broadcast from San Francisco at 6:00 p.m. (7 a.m. Tokyo time).
Thereafter, Japanese text broadcast repeatedly on our eleven west coast shortwave transmitters, shortwave transmitter at Honolulu and on our medium wave Saipan transmitter. Carried in twenty languages from west coast. All regular programs were cancelled to permit full and repeated broadcasts of the proclamation.1
Text transmitted in telegraphic Japanese to Pacific and China outposts so one official Japanese version would be used on outpost radio programs and in leaflets.
Urgent telegrams ordered psychological warfare outposts In Honolulu, Manila, Chungking, and Kunming to use full text without comment or speculation until further notice.
Our New York office made Proclamation highlights and text lead story for programs in 24 languages broadcast over 26 transmitters.
Current instructions to all offices and outposts are no editorial comment or other reaction to be used. This will not be modified without consultation with State. Fullest play will be continued on all Pacific transmitters through Friday. For several days thereafter the Proclamation will be repeated at regular intervals.”
- No evidence has been found in Department of State files to indicate that the text of the proclamation was transmitted to the Japanese Government through neutral diplomatic channels.↩