Foreign Relations of the United States, 1947, The Far East, Volume VI

894.628/5–2747

Memorandum of Conversation, by the Acting Assistant Chief of the International Resources Division (Flory)

restricted

[Washington,] May 27, 1947.

Subject: 1947–1948 Japanese Antarctic Whaling Expedition.

Participants:	General Hilldring—A–H
	Mr. F. C. Everson, First Secretary—British Embassy
	Mr. H. A. Graves, Counselor—British Embassy
	Mr. G. R. Powles, First Secretary—New Zealand
	Legation Major Plimsoll—Australia
	Mr. Knut Lykke—Counselor of Norwegian Embassy
	NA—Mr. Allison
	IR—Mr. Flory

This Conference was called at 3:30 p.m. in General Hilldring’s office for the purpose of consulting on the above subject.

General Hilldring indicated that, in accordance with certain commitments which had been made in connection with the 1946–1947 SCAP Antarctic whaling expedition, he was now consulting with respect to a proposed 1947–1948 expedition. General Hilldring said that the views of his Government were as follows:

1. A SCAP whaling expedition in 1947–1948 would provide food for the Japanese occupation and foreign exchange, thereby decreasing the obligations on the US taxpayers to supply Japan with an equivalent amount of food and foreign exchange.

2. The expedition proposed would be a SCAP expedition, not a Japanese expedition. This follows from the consideration that the Supreme Commander has the responsibility for an effective occupation. The question of rehabilitating the Japanese economy, per se, is not a factor except as it contributes to effectiveness of the occupation and to relieving the US taxpayers.

3. All the provisions of the whaling agreements will be carefully adhered to and the issue as it appears is basically one of a conflict of interests between the US taxpayers and the Norwegian, British and Australian whaling industries and economies.

4. The future of Japanese whaling after the occupation is not involved in this question. He indicated, and all the representatives present agreed, that any post-war limitations on Japanese whaling would be decided in the peace treaty, not at the present time.

Virtually all of the arguments against Japanese whaling previously made by Australia, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom were brought up at some time or another during the course of the conversations. In addition the following points were urged:

1. Mr. Graves stated his belief that it would be hard for the nations which are members of the international whaling conventions to hold the Antarctic limit to 16,000 blue whale units inasmuch as it was anticipated, at the time the limitation was fixed, that there would be no Japanese or German whaling. General Hilldring suggested that the normal increase in the number of whaling expeditions would contribute to the pressure for increasing the limit even though Japanese and German expeditions were not involved.

2. Mr. Everson indicated that the British had cooperated fully with the US in the furtherance of economic policies with respect to Japan and they were prepared “to go along with almost any US economic policy” but that they could not concur in a SCAP expedition for 1947–1948.

3. Major Plimsoll stated that the Australians had cooperated with the US in economic policy in Japan but that Australia objected most vigorously to Japanese whaling. He pointed out that in the FEC meeting all nations, except the United States, had concurred in opposing Japanese Antarctic whaling and that Australia had suspended pressure for an FEC ban on Japanese Antarctic whaling on the personal assurance of a US representative that the US was considering making a counter-proposal which would ban SCAP Antarctic whaling. Major Plimsoll urged most strongly the view that the US would lose much more in terms of friendship with the allied powers by authorizing Japanese whaling for 1947–1948 than it would gain in dollars by forbidding [permitting?] such an expedition.

4. The Norwegian representative pointed out that the United States had given considerable assistance to Norway in supply and in reconstruction and that Japanese whaling would seriously affect the reconstruction of the Norwegian economy and would sharply curtail the amount of foreign exchange that it would have at its disposal.

5. Colonel Powles observed that in the pre-war period the Japanese had operated their shore stations year round. He inquired whether this was still the Japanese practice. Mr. Flory indicated that a specific inquiry on this point would be directed to SCAP.

6. Mr. Lykke inquired whether a report had been received on the 1946–1947 Antarctic expedition. Mr. Flory stated that no report had as yet been received but that SCAP would, in due course, send to Sandefjord the report which it is obligated to transmit under the whaling agreements.

General Hilldring indicated that this consultation was of a preliminary nature and stated that he would consult with these representatives again before any final action was taken.