GENENAL HEADQUARTERS SUPREME COMMANDER FOR THE ALLIED POWERS OFFICE OF THE SUPREME COMMANDER

24 January 1950

 

My dear Mr. President :
This is in reply to your letter of January 4, 1950 regarding the return to Korea of ships located in Korea on or after August 9, 1945. I am cognizant of the protracted negotiations which have taken place on this subject between representatives of your government and my headquarters. Upon receipt of your letter, I caused this matter to be further investigated with a view to determining its present status.
During the course of negotiations with your representatives there were many attempts to arrive at a workable and equitable formula. The present policy derives from instructions received from Washington on September 9, 1949, which were made known at the time to the Korean representatives in Washington. I am informed, also, that since that time this policy has been transmitted verbally to the Korean Ambassador in Japan by Brigadier General John F. Conklin, Civil Property Custodian, and confirmed in a note from the Diplomatic Section to the Korean Diplomatic Mission in Japan on December 2, 1949.
This policy limits the current negotiations to Korean-registered vessels. The list of vessels which was submitted to the Civil Property Custodian on October 18, 1949 was transmitted to the Japanese Government with a directive to report with regard to these vessels and all other vessels of Korean registry now in Japanese waters and to indicate their whereabouts and condition. It was further directed on November 16, 1949 that vessels of Korean registry in Japanese waters would be returned to Korea, unless the Japanese Government could furnish adequate proof to the effect that they were not in Korean waters on or after August 9, 1945. Exception was made for those vessels which visited Korean waters with the express authorization of SCAP. As information was received from the Japanese Government, it was transmitted to the Korean Diplomatic Mission in Japan by memoranda on November 18, 1949, December 16, 1949 and December 28, 1949 a final, comprehensive report with respect to all vessels of Korean registry located in Japan was transmitted by memorandum on January 19, 1950.
The comprehensive report of January 19, 1950 covered 91 vessels of various types and tonnages. This report indicates that 20 vessels have already been returned to the Korean Government 19 are available for transfer upon call to the Korean Goverment, and 52 are being retained in Japan awaiting further evidence from the Korean Government in refutation of the Japanese Government's evidence that these vessels either were not of Korean registry or were not in Korean waters on or after August 9, 1945. The Japanese Government reports that a thorough search and investigation has failed to reveal the whereabouts of all other vessels claimed by the Korean Government.
At all times there has been a disposition on the part of the responsible members of my staff to arrive at an equitable solution of this involved problem. They have taken all proper steps to insure that adequate investigation is conducted by the Japanese Government officials and have endeavored to keep the representatives of the Korean Government fully informed of the progress. Should the Korean Goverment adduce additional evidence respecting ships of Korean registry, you may be assured that it will receive full consideration.
As has been indicated above, the present policy restricts the actions of this headquarters to ships of Korean registry. No directive has been received respecting action to be taken regarding vessels of non-Korean registry. I regret that I am without authority to effect a change in the existing policy.

 

Very sincerely,
DOUGLAS MACARTHUR

The Honorable Syngman Rhee
President, Republic of Korea
Seoul, Korea