740.00119 PW/4–2947: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Consulate General at Rangoon 83
169. Reurtel 337, Apr 29. Have no knowledge proposed FEC Tokyo in May on Japanese reparations. All policy deliberations taking place Washington.
May refer missions being established in Tokyo to implement reparations decisions by making claims for particular facilities and arranging taking title and shipping. This operation necessarily under UK control unless or until steps taken for establishing independent Burmese allocation.
State Dept prepared support any proposal made by UK for separate reparations allocation by Far Eastern Commission to Burma and for invitation to Burma present its claim for reparations independently to FEC in Washington in accordance with general procedures which may be adopted for presentation of claims for reparations from Japan by countries not members of FEC.
For your info present discussions in FEC dealing with questions of volume of industrial equipment to be made available as reparations from Japan and percentage basis for distributing this equipment among FEC countries. Separate allocation for Burma not prejudiced by these discussions since always possible amend UK share as made necessary by segregation Burma claim from overall UK claim. Otherwise US proposes kitty of about 2 percent for non-FEC claimants.
- Repeated to London as telegram 1964.↩