Aide-memoire 29 May 1947

A number of recent developments connected with the occupation and
control of Japan have caused growing concern to the Australian
Government, in that they seem to suggest that matters which should
not be decided in advance of the Japanese peace settlement are
being resolved unilaterally by the occupation authorities in the
course of day-to-day administration.

A Kyoto radio broadcast of 13 May reported that, in order to
assure the supply of rock phosphates for Japan, the Supreme
Commander for the Allied Powers had decided that all work with
regard to the management of the rock phosphate industry on Angaur
Island in the Palau Group should be carried out at the
responsibility of the Japanese Government under the Supreme
Commander's control. This would be the first step since the end of
the war permitting Japanese enterprise overseas. The Australian
Government recognizes that the United States has the right under
the Trusteeship Agreement to exploit the resources of the islands
in the interests of the inhabitants as it sees fit, but would
point out that the whole purpose of this agreement was to exclude
permanently Japanese nationals from an area vital to the safety of
the Pacific. Whether merely labourers on the phosphate deposits or
not, the Australian Government cannot but regard with deep concern
their reappearance in an area close to Australian fisheries.

Recent reports indicate that the Japanese have been invited to
participate in international conferences abroad. A Japanese is
reported to be attending, in an advisory capacity, the rice study
group in India, and another is reported to have been invited to
the World Federation of Trade Unions Conference in Prague next
month. An invitation was also issued to Japan to attend the Union
Postale Universale Congress in Paris. The Australian Government
considers that the whole question of Japanese external contacts is
a matter to be decided at the peace settlement and that in the
meanwhile Japanese should be prohibited from leaving Japan. The
Australian Government would urge that the Supreme Commander be
instructed to proceed along these lines.

The Australian Government learned with great surprise on 27 May
that the United States Government was contemplating another
whaling expedition to the Antarctic in the coming season, using
Japanese ships and equipment manned by Japanese crews under the
control of the Supreme Commander. The Australian Government cannot
believe that the United States would propose this year to sanction
such an expedition in view of the strong protests last year by the
Australian and other Governments, and in view of the support by
all members of the Far Eastern Commission (except the United
States of America) and by Norway of an Australian proposal that
Japanese whaling in the Antarctic be forbidden at present. The
Australian Government takes this further opportunity of
reaffirming its strong opposition to any resumption of Japanese
whaling in the Antarctic during the period of the occupation, even
under the control of the Supreme Commander, and to reaffirm its
view that the future of the Japanese whaling industry should be
reserved to the peace conference.

The Australian Government takes this opportunity of assuring the
American Government of its complete agreement with the views
expressed in Article 1 (a) of Mr. Byrnes' proposed 25-year treaty
for the disarmament and demilitarization of Japan. [1] The
Australian Government has received reports that officials in the
Japanese Foreign Office are preparing draft proposals to be
submitted to the peace conference authorizing the retention of
certain armed forces by Japan. Future control of Japan and
military protection of Japan are of course matters to be decided
at the peace conference, but the Australian Government would be
strongly opposed to any suggestion to re-establish the Japanese
Army, Navy, or Air Force. [2]