740.00119 FEAC/3–2646
Memorandum by the Office of Far
Eastern Affairs to the Operations
Division, War Department General Staff
[Washington,] March 26, 1946.
Subject: Forthcoming Japanese Elections
The Far Eastern Commission, acting under paragraph VI, 1 of its terms of
reference, which provides for the making of arrangements through the
Chairman for consultation with the Supreme Commander for the Allied
Powers, desires to obtain the Supreme Commander’s views regarding the
forthcoming Japanese elections and has asked the Chairman to arrange for
the dispatch of a message to General Mac-Arthur along the lines of the
enclosure. The Chairman of the Commission has requested the Secretary of
State to make such arrangements as he deems practicable to obtain the
desired information from the Supreme Commander.
It is requested that the War Department take the necessary action in
regard to this matter.
[Page 184]
[Annex]
Proposed Message From the Far Eastern Commission
to General of the Army Douglas MacArthur
The Far Eastern Commission has given some short preliminary and
tentative consideration to the position that may arise after the
forthcoming Japanese elections. Having regard to the established
position throughout the country of the more reactionary political
parties, and to the very short period available to the parties of a
more liberal tendency to circulate their views and organize support,
the members of the Commission are not without the apprehension that
the holding of the election at such an early date may well give a
decisive advantage to the reactionary parties and thus create the
embarrassment of a Japanese Government elected in terms of the
Potsdam Declaration “in accordance with the freely expressed will of
the Japanese people”, which might not, in fact, truly represent
their wishes, and with which it might prove impossible for the
Supreme Command to cooperate. From another point of view, the
Commission feel the difficulty of expecting a fully instructed,
intelligent and authoritative expression of the views of the
Japanese people on their political future during this uncertain
period when the whole of the future economic structure of Japan is
still in doubt, and when a proportion of the electorate must
necessarily be disfranchised owing to absence. Finally, the issue of
the draft Constitution, of which you have approved, makes the
Constitution at this late stage an election issue, upon which there
can be little time for consideration by the Japanese people, and at
the same time may give an undue political advantage to the political
party preferring this Constitution.
The Far Eastern Commission would be most grateful if the Supreme
Commander could let them have a very early expression of his views
generally, and in particular on the following questions:
- 1.
- Does the Supreme Commander share the apprehensions
expressed above?
- 2.
- If so, would he consider it possible and desirable to
require a further postponement of the Japanese elections,
and in that case, for what period?
- 3.
- If the Supreme Commander should not consider a further
postponement desirable at this late date, would he express
his views on the desirability, as an alternative, of
publicly prescribing that the forthcoming election will be
regarded as a test of the ability of Japan to produce a
responsible and democratic government in full accordance
with the wishes of the people and that further elections
will be held at a later date[?]
