Oral communication to Mr. Ballantine (9-4-45)

U.S. State Department (September 4, 1945)

740.00119 Control(Japan)/9-445

The British Minister to the Director of the Office of Far Eastern Affairs

September 4, 1945

ORAL COMMUNICATION TO MR. BALLANTINE – SEPT. 4TH, 1945

Mr. Balfour informed Mr. Dunn on August 30th that H.M. Government in the United Kingdom were communicating informally to the Governments of China and the USSR their tentative proposals for an Allied Control Council to assist the Supreme Commander in Japan.

Mr. Dunn suggested that, in view of the U.S. Government’s proposal of a Far Eastern Advisory Commission, H.M. Government might wish to defer such communication to those two Governments.

The Foreign Office now inform us that instructions had already been sent to our Ambassadors in Chungking and Moscow before Mr. Dunn’s suggestion was received; but desire us to say that, in communicating our ideas to the Chinese and Soviet Governments we have made it clear to them that we regard our proposals as a tentative basis for discussion only. Moreover, it is not our view that these proposals are necessarily incompatible with the view of the U.S. Government as explained by Mr. Dunn.