740.00119 FEAC/7–2049: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Embassy in Australia 1
108. Pls seek early interview with Min for Ext Affairs or other high official. Inform him that US Govt understands Austral Rep on FEC intends to press for early vote (probably July 28) on Austral res before Comm which if passed would require SCAP and Jap Govt amend existing labor legislation to give all Govt enterprise workers (railways, telecommunications, etc.) right to strike. State that US considers pressing res to vote detrimental to interests of occupation and of all countries interested security of Pacific; that US earnestly hopes Austral Govt will see its way clear to withdraw res or at least to hold in abeyance any action to bring res to vote. Fol arguments might be presented:
- (1)
- Controlling FEC directive (045/5), to which Austral res refers, is broad statement of principles for Jap trade unions, which does not state to which specific group it does or does not apply. SCAP [Page 802] acted within his proper administrative discretion in interpreting directive to meet Jap circumstances, and his interpretation has been translated by Jap Govt into series of laws. Effect of Austral res, if adopted, would be to require major rewriting of these laws which in turn would undermine position of present Govt and jeopardize stabilization program. Present is peculiarly inappropriate time for FEC to reformulate labor policies for Japan when labor situation there is seriously unsettled due to mass lay-offs of surplus workers—a situation increasingly exploited by Commie trouble-makers.
- (2)
- Austral res would permit unrestricted use of strike weapon by Govt enterprise workers unless expressly forbidden by Mil fiat. This would impose on occupying Auth (and on US as principal occupying power) direct responsibility for banning of strikes.
- (3)
- Adoption of Austral res would be FEC reversal of position publicly taken by SCAP. Loss of prestige which SCAP would suffer from such reversal would seriously weaken Auth of occupation. As in case of (2) above, this would play directly into hands of Commies.
- (4)
- Accordingly, if Austral proposal is put to vote, US will have to vote against it. Australs will not gain their objective; US will be placed in embarrassing position; only Sovs and their Jap Commie Party minions will reap any advantage from vote.
- (5)
- In view foregoing factors, US does not consider issue the simple, technical one which Austral Govt evidently does. To US Govt, issue is directly concerned with order and security in Japan. US regrets that on a question bearing so directly upon Japan’s internal security US and Austral have not seen eye-to-eye.
- (6)
- US is confident that under discretion which occupation Auths now possess and consistent with existing FEC labor policy, occupation Auths and Jap Govt can and will advance true interests of labor in Jap society as a whole. It may be reasonably expected that labor legislation evolved to date will undergo further revision by normal processes in future.
You may in your discretion leave written record of substance of what you are instructed to say.
- Similar telegrams were sent as 2669, July 22, 4 p. m., to Paris, as 98, July 23, noon, to Ottawa, and as 2580, July 23, noon, to London.↩