Effects of new foe bombs avoidable
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Nippon protests
TOKYO (Domei) – The Nippon government filed a protest with the Swiss government yesterday against the attack on Hiroshima with a new type of bomb last Monday. The protest was lodged through the Swiss government and explained to the International Red Cross in Geneva through the Swiss Minister here.
Foe warship damaged
LISBON (Domei, Aug. 10) – A Guam dispatch today admitted that a “light” United States naval vessel was damaged yesterday when the U.S. Third Fleet conducted a carrier raid on the Nippon mainland. No details were given.
Salzburger Nachrichten (August 11, 1945)
Japans Kapitulationsangebot
Noch keine offizielle Stellungnahme der alliierten Regierungen zu dem japanischen Anerbieten
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L’Aube (August 11, 1945)
LE JAPON CAPITULE
LE JAPON ACCEPTE L’ULTIMATUM LANCE DE POTSDAM, LE 26 JUILLET DERNIER, PAR LES ETATS-UNIS, LA Grande-Bretagne ET LA CHINE, SOUS RESERVE QUE LES PREROGATIVES SOUVERAINES DE L’EMPEREUR SOIENT SAUVEGARDEES. Telle est la nouvelle diffusée, hier un peu avant 13 heures, par la radio de Tokio. La Suède et la Suisse ont été chargées par le gouvernement nippon de faire part de la demande de reddition aux puissances alliées. Une note a été remise en fin d’après-midi à Berne et à Stockholm. Elle a été aussitôt transmise à Washington, Londres at Tchoung-King. A Tokio même, la général Tojo, ministre des Affaires étrangères, a reçu l’ambassadeur de l’URSS, qui se trouvait encore dans la capitale, et lui a fait une déclaration analogue.
Un communique de l‘agence Domei
La radio de Tokyo a diffusé hier, à toutes ses émissions, la note suivante de l’agence Domei :
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Truman passe en revue l’ensemble des problèmes internationaux –
« Nous sortons de cette guerre la nation la plus puissante du monde »
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U.S. State Department (August 11, 1945)
740.00116 PW/8-1145
The Swiss Legation to the Department of State
Washington, August 11, 1945
Memorandum
The Legation of Switzerland in charge of Japanese interests has received an urgent cable from the authorities abroad, requesting that the Department of State be immediately apprised of the following communication from the Japanese Government, reading, in translation, as follows:
On August 6, 1945, American airplanes released on the residential district of the town of Hiroshima bombs of a new type, killing and injuring in one second a large number of civilians and destroying a great part of the town. Not only is the city of Hiroshima a provincial town without any protection or special military installations of any kind, but also none of the neighboring region of this town constitutes a military objective.
In a declaration President Truman has asserted that he would use these bombs for the destruction of docks, factories, and installations of transportation. However, this bomb, provided with a parachute, in falling has a destructive force of a great scope as a result of its explosion in the air. It is evident, therefore, that it is technically impossible to limit the effect of its use to special objectives such as designated by President Truman, and the American authorities are perfectly aware of this. In fact, it has been established on the scene that the damage extends over a great area and that combatant and non-combatant men and women, old and young, are massacred without discrimination by the atmospheric pressure of the explosion, as well as by the radiating heat which results therefrom. Consequently there is involved a bomb having the most cruel effects humanity has ever known, not only as far as the extensive and immense damage is concerned, but also for reasons of suffering endured by each victim.
It is an elementary principle of international public law that in time of war the belligerents do not have unlimited right in the choice of the means of attack and that they cannot resort to projectile arms or any other means capable of causing the enemy needless suffering. These principles are stipulated in the Convention respecting the laws and customs of war on land and in Article 22, as well as under letter (E) of Article 23 of the rules concerning the laws and customs of war on land. Since the beginning of the present war, the American Government has declared on various occasions that the use of gas or other inhuman means of combat were considered illegal in the public opinion of civilized human society and that it would not avail itself of these means before enemy countries resorted to them. The bombs in question, used by the Americans, by their cruelty and by their terrorizing effects, surpass by far gas or any other arm the use of which is prohibited by the treaties for reasons of their characteristics.
The Americans have effected bombardments of towns in the greatest part of Japanese territory, without discrimination massacring a great number of old people, women, children; destroying and burning down Shinto and Buddhist temples, schools, hospitals, living quarters, etc. This fact alone means that they have shown complete defiance of the essential principles of humanitarian laws, as well as international law. They now use this new bomb, having an uncontrollable and cruel effect much greater than any other arms or projectiles ever used to date. This constitutes a new crime against humanity and civilization. The Government of Japan, in its own name and at the same time in the name of all of humanity and civilization, accuses the American Government with the present note of the use of an inhuman weapon of this nature and demands energetically abstinence from its use.
Reference: I-10
740.00119 PW/8-1145: Telegram
The Ambassador in the Soviet Union to the Secretary of State
Moscow, August 11, 1945
[Received August 11 — 9:50 a.m.]
M-25264
For the President and the Secretary of State. This morning I received confirmation in writing from Molotov of the changes given me by telephone last night in his reply to our proposed statement to the Japanese Government on surrender as reported to you in my cable number M-25260. I realize that the last paragraph is clumsy language in English but it is a literal translation of the Russian. Pavlov in his early oral translation and subsequently by telephone used the word “candidate” instead of “candidacy.” I thought it better, however, to stick to the literal translation. My conversation with Molotov as reported in my M-25259 appears to clarify the meaning of the sentence.
HARRIMAN
740.00119 PW/8-1045
The Secretary of State to the Swiss Chargé
Washington, August 11, 1945
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of your note of August 10, and in reply to inform you that the President of the United States has directed me to send to you for transmission by your Government to the Japanese Government the following message on behalf of the Governments of the United States, the United Kingdom, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and China:
With regard to the Japanese Government’s message accepting the terms of the Potsdam proclamation but containing the statement, “with the understanding that the said declaration does not comprise any demand which prejudices the prerogatives of His Majesty as a sovereign ruler,” our position is as follows:
From the moment of surrender the authority of the Emperor and the Japanese Government to rule the state shall be subject to the Supreme Commander of the Allied powers who will take such steps as he deems proper to effectuate the surrender terms.
The Emperor will be required to authorize and ensure the signature by the Government of Japan and the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters of the surrender terms necessary to carry out the provisions of the Potsdam Declaration, and shall issue his commands to all the Japanese military, naval and air authorities and to all the forces under their control wherever located to cease active operations and to surrender their arms, and to issue such other orders as the Supreme Commander may require to give effect to the surrender terms.
Immediately upon the surrender the Japanese Government shall transport prisoners of war and civilian internees to places of safety, as directed, where they can quickly be placed aboard Allied transports.
The ultimate form of government of Japan shall, in accordance with the Potsdam declaration, be established by the freely expressed will of the Japanese people.
The armed forces of the Allied Powers will remain in Japan until the purposes set forth in the Potsdam declaration are achieved.
Accept [etc.]
[JAMES F. BYRNES]
740.00119 PW/8-1145
Memorandum of Telephone Conversation, by the Director of the Office of European Affairs
[Washington,] August 11, 1945
Under the Secretary’s instructions (conveyed to me by Mr. Dunn) I telephoned Mr. Grässli, the Swiss Chargé d’Affaires, at 10:46 this morning. I referred to the communication just left with him by Mr. Wallner containing the reply to the Japanese peace move and asked him to request the Swiss Government to convey to the Japanese Government that this Government expects a prompt answer to the message communicated on behalf of the Governments of the United States, the United Kingdom, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and China.
H. F[REEMAN] M[ATTHEWS]
740.00119 PW/8-1145: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Minister in Switzerland
Washington, August 11, 1945 — noon
2510
Dept received last night through Swiss Legation here text of Japanese surrender terms contained urtel 3864 August 10, 8 p.m. Our reply on behalf of the four governments was delivered to the Swiss Chargé d’Affaires at 10:30 a.m. today and text has been made public.
BYRNES