Office of the Historian

740.00119 Control (Japan)/10–647

Memorandum of Conversation, by the Deputy Director of the Office of Far Eastern Affairs (Penfield)

[Washington,] October 6, 1947.

During the course of a call this afternoon Mr. Graves72 stated that he was instructed to explain the unfortunate press leak in regard to [Page 301] the withdrawal of the remaining British forces in Japan. He said that the British have been consulting with the Australians regarding their desire to withdraw the remaining British troops from Japan and that they intended, as soon as agreement with the Australians was achieved, to approach SCAP and the US Government in accordance with established procedures.73 The news apparently got into the press as a result of an entirely improper and unauthorized statement by the Australian War Minister. Mr. Graves expressed his regrets for this occurrence and stated that the necessary approaches in Tokyo and Washington would be expedited.74

  1. Hubert A. Graves, Counselor of the British Embassy.↩
  2. On May 21 the Department had answered notes from the Australian Embassy and accepted proposed withdrawal of British Indian forces and reduction of New Zealand forces in Japan, arrangements to be effected with SCAP (740.00119 Control (Japan)/4–1047).↩
  3. On January 14, 1948, the Department replied to the Australian Embassy’s communication of November 24 (not printed) accepting the proposal to reduce substantially the United Kingdom force in Japan (740.00119 Control (Japan)/11–2447).↩