MOST IMMEDIATE

Your 302.

1. As soon as I received your telegram this evening I went to
MacArthur's Headquarters. He was in conference and I indicated to
Colonel Bunker his aide-de-camp and influential adviser the nature
of the first question I wished to discuss.

2. I said you were disturbed at the breakdown in communications
which had so long delayed your receipt of MacArthur's invitation.

You would have wished to have publicly and immediately expressed
your acceptance and appreciation. At this stage I said I felt you
would think it more proper for MacArthur to make a statement for
the Press and you would be happy for him to do so. Bunker then
said he felt he could confidently express the General's view and
this would be that it 'might get him in bad with the people at
home' if he were to say that he had [1] specific and special
invitation after the announcement of the Canberra Conference. The
people at home might think MacArthur was making a special effort
'to get you in'.

3. Since MacArthur's Conference showed no signs of ending I told
Bunker I would not wait longer but discuss questions associated
with your visit later.

4. May I suggest that you reconsider the idea of asking MacArthur
for transport. I feel-
(a) that in the light of the reaction above described it might
embarrass MacArthur to offer transport and embarrass us if he
refused,
(b) newspapermen in Japan are awaiting your arrival with excited
confidence. The general line they take is 'now at last we will
have someone come here who will speak his mind and not bend the
knee to MacArthur and leave with the statement that the occupation
has been a fabulous success',
(c) there has been a continuous comment here that 'the British go
cap in hand to the Americans for everything'.

If you were to travel in MacArthur's plane the impression might be
created that Australia feels obliged to take the same line.

5. 1 hope you will forgive me for not carrying out your
instructions literally and immediately. I am merely reporting back
in case in the light of what I report you may wish to modify them.