894.30/4–2646
Memorandum by the State–War–Navy Coordinating Committee to the Secretary of State
SWN–4203
On 28 March 1946 the State–War–Navy Coordinating Committee in memorandum SWN–409017 requested the State Department to communicate to the Government of the U.S.S.R. the substance of the note in Appendix “C” of SWNCC 186/12.17
The Joint Chiefs of Staff consider it most desirable that this note be supplemented, in whatever fashion the Department of State may find most expedient, by additional information substantially as follows:
“On 14 September 1945 the United State Chiefs of Staff issued a directive to the Supreme Allied Commander, a copy of which was forwarded to your high command, requiring that he coordinate the use of captured Japanese shipping in the repatriation of Japanese nationals from all areas and in other matters connected with the capitulation of Japan. In order to carry out this directive, requests were made to the Soviet command as to the amount and condition of Japanese shipping recovered in Soviet areas, but this information has not been furnished. It will be recognized that a fair assignment of Japanese vessels to employment in the repatriation of Japanese from the various areas can be made only if the requirements of the task and the quantity of vessels captured in all areas are made known to the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers. Consequently, a request for the assignment of Japanese vessels, in addition to those now in possession of the Soviet command, for repatriation of Japanese nationals and other purposes connected with the implementation of the Japanese surrender, should be accompanied by sufficient data, both as to the amount of captured Japanese shipping already in the possession of the Soviet command and as to the purposes for which additional Japanese shipping is required by the Soviet command, to permit the [Page 506] Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers to make an equitable assignment of vessels, from total available resources recovered from the Japanese, to the various tasks to be accomplished.”18
In approving SWNCC 186/1319 (copy of which is attached) the State–War–Navy Coordinating Committee concurred in the foregoing views of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
State Member State–War–Navy Coordinating Committee
- Not printed.↩
- Not printed.↩
- The Department in its telegram 836, May 4, 6 p.m., to Moscow (894.30/4–2646), instructed that this quotation be communicated, substantially, to the Foreign Office as a supplement to the letter addressed to Mr. Lozovsky in accordance with telegram 599, April 1, 7 p.m., p. 485.↩
- April 22, not printed.↩