740.00115 PW/3–1947
The Acting Secretary of State to the British Ambassador (Inverchapel)47
The Acting Secretary of State presents his compliments to His Excellency the British Ambassador and has the honor to refer to [Page 193] the British Ambassador’s note of October 7, 1946,48 regarding the retention of 82,000 Japanese prisoners of war in British-controlled areas of Southeast Asia, the last of whom would not be repatriated until the end of 1947.
The British Ambassador in his note of October stated that the phased release of Japanese prisoners retained in British territories in Southeast Asia would continue through 1947 and would be carried out in British shipping. In a telegram of January 17, 1947, from the Commander in Chief, Southeast Asia Command to the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers it was pointed out, however, that the term “British shipping” was intended to include Japanese ships at the disposal of the Commander in Chief Southeast Asia Command. In a telegram of January 25, 1947, the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers informed the Commander in Chief Southeast Asia Command that this interpretation of the term “British shipping” had caused him considerable concern inasmuch as his repatriation facilities, including shipping, had been reduced to a minimum upon the assumption that His Majesty’s Government intended to furnish shipping and crews for deferred repatriation from the Southeast Asia Command. The Supreme Commander added that the Commander in Chief Southeast Asia would appreciate that the maintenance of shipping for repatriation and of reception centers in Japan over an indefinite period of time would be a unwarranted extravagance. In conclusion the Supreme Commander offered to furnish the necessary shipping to complete the repatriation of Japanese in British territories in Southeast Asia provided that such repatriation (apart from those Japanese being held in connection with war crimes) would be completed before June 1, 1947; that shipping requirements for any one month would not exceed 30,000 spaces and that His Majesty’s Government would agree to furnish fuel on a round trip basis and emergency supplies to repatriation ships as in the past.
While noting the circumstances which had led His Majesty’s Government to feel impelled to postpone the repatriation of Japanese prisoners retained in British territories of Southeast Asia, this Government, in view of the clear intent of the Potsdam Declaration and of the burdens which would be placed upon repatriation facilities under the control of the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers by the prolonged retention of Japanese in Southeast Asia, considers it highly desirable that the repatriation of these Japanese be completed as rapidly as possible and hopes that His Majesty’s Government will give favorable consideration to the proposals made by the Supreme Commander.
- Draft approved by SWNCC on March 18 and transmission to British Ambassador requested by their SWN–5236, March 19; it was forwarded to Tokyo in instruction 461, March 28.↩
- Not printed, but see Foreign Relations, 1946, vol. viii, p. 312, footnote 87.↩