IMMEDIATE
Allied Council in Japan.
Following are our proposed instructions to Macmahon Ball as Member
of the Allied Council. We should like to have your comments
immediately as Ball is leaving for Tokyo by air on 18th March. [1]
(i) In all matters within the scope of the Allied Council as set
out in the Moscow Communique of 28th December, 1945 [2] you will
represent the views and interests of the Governments of Australia,
the United Kingdom, New Zealand and India.
(ii) You will be instructed by the Australian Minister for
External Affairs, acting on behalf of those Governments.
(iii) You will maintain consultation with the persons designated
by those Governments as your advisers who will form for this pose
a Committee of Advisers under your Chairmanship.
(iv) As Allied Council Member you will communicate direct with the
Australian Minister for External Affairs, who will keep the
Governments of the United Kingdom, New Zealand and India informed.
2. We would be glad to know whom you will appoint as adviser to
Macmahon Ball in Tokyo. [3] We assume that you will be making your
own arrangements re accommodation for adviser and staff. If this
is not so, we would appreciate details as to numbers, rank and sex
in order that we may make any necessary arrangements.
3. Australian Acting High Commissioner, Delhi please convey to
Government of India.
1 India and New Zealand agreed to these instructions without
comment on 14 March and the United Kingdom on 17 March. The
instructions were conveyed to Ball on the day of his actual
departure, 21 March.
2 The terms of reference of the Allied Council for Japan were:
1. There shall be established an Allied Council with its seat in
Tokyo under the Chairmanship of the Supreme Commander for the
Allied powers (or his deputy) for the purpose of consulting with
and advising the Supreme Commander in regard to the implementation
of the terms of surrender, the occupation and control of Japan and
of directives supplementary thereto; and for the purpose of
exercising the control authority herein granted.
2. The membership of the Allied Council shall consist of the
Supreme Commander (or his deputy) who shall be chairman and United
States member; a Union of Soviet Socialist Republics member; a
Chinese member; and a member representing jointly the United
Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and India.
3. Each member shall be entitled to have an appropriate staff
consisting of military and civilian advisers.
4. The Allied Council shall meet not less often than once every
two weeks.
5. The Supreme Commander shall issue all orders for the
implementation of the terms of surrender, the occupation and
control of Japan and directives supplementary thereto. In all
cases action will be carried out under and through the Supreme
Commander who is the sole executive authority for the Allied
powers in Japan. He will consult and advise with the Council in
advance of the issuance of orders on matters of substance the
exigencies of the situation permitting. His decisions upon these
matters shall be controlling.
6. If, regarding implementation of policy decisions of the Far
Eastern Commission on questions concerning a change in the regime
of control, fundamental changes in the Japanese constitutional
structure, and a change in the Japanese Government as a whole, a
member of the Council disagrees with the Supreme Commander (or his
deputy) the Supreme Commander will withhold the issuance of orders
on these questions pending agreement thereon in the Far Eastern
Commission.
7. In cases of necessity the Supreme Commander may take decisions
concerning the change of individual Ministers of the Japanese
Government or concerning the filling of vacancies created by the
resignation of individual cabinet members after appropriate
preliminary consultation with the representatives of the other
Allied powers on the Allied Council.
