Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, China and Japan, Volume XIV, Part 2

Tokyo Post files, 320 Formosa Jap

No. 470
Memorandum of Telephone Conversation, by the United States Political Adviser to SCAP (Sebald)

secret

Tokyo, January 11, 1952.

Subject:

• British Attitude Toward Japanese Recognition of China.

Participants:

• The Honorable John M. Allison
• Ambassador Sebald

Mr. Allison called by telephone from Washington at 12:00 noon today. He said that he wished to advise me concerning the present status of the talks between Mr. Dulles and himself, on the one hand, and Mr. Eden, on the other. He prefaced his remarks by saying that the British had not conceded quite to the extent that we had hoped, but that some progress had been made. Mr. Eden is sending a telegram to Sir Esler Dening with instructions to the effect that if Prime Minister Yoshida should ask, but not otherwise, Sir Esler is to say that the British still maintain their earlier position, and would prefer that Japan make no decision on the China question until after the restoration of complete sovereignty. On the other hand, should the Japanese wish to make a decision now, no objection will be raised by the British to such decision.

Mr. Allison said that his impression is that the British are now resigned to Japan’s probable course of action. He also said that Prime Minister Yoshida’s letter of December 24 had been shown to Sir Oliver Franks, but not to Mr. Eden, who, however, is aware of the existence of the letter.

In summary, Mr. Allison said that there will be no sudden reversal of British policy as previously maintained, but that no further pressure would be placed by the British upon the Japanese on the China question.

I mentioned to Mr. Allison the AFP article alleging that Sir Esler Dening was encouraging the Japanese to trade with Communist China in order to divert Japanese trade pressures from Southeast Asia. Mr. Allison said that this article is based on a column by Marquis Childs, who had not talked with Mr. Dulles since the latter’s return to Washington. He suspected, although he did not definitely know, that Marquis Childs had obtained this information from Senator H. Alexander Smith.

W.J. Sebald

P.S. On the question of making PM Yoshida’s letter public, Mr. Allison said that the letter would probably have to be made public but that we would be given ample warning and perhaps a simultaneous release might be made. WJS¹

1. The postcript is handwritten.