Majesty's Government intend to communi- cate this draft, with a similar explanation, to the Governments of France and the Nether- lands.
2. The draft represents a first attempt to state in the form of a draft treaty the general principles set out in the aide mémoire which your Excellency left with the United States Secretary of State on 12th March. It does not take into account the views expressed in the United States Government's aide mémoire of 14th March, nor the provisional United States draft of a Treaty of Peace with Japan communicated to His Majesty's Embassy at Washington on 23rd March. These documents are now being considered in relation to the United Kingdom draft and the comments of His Majesty's Government will follow as soon as possible. Majesty's Government, for their part, would much appreciate the views of the United States Government on the enclosed draft.
His
3. The United States Government will observe that the draft is considerably longer than the one prepared by them. This is partly in order to make sure that in the Japanese peace settlement appropriate use is made of experience gained in the practical working of the Peace Treaties with Italy and the Satellite States. His Majesty's Govern- ment in the United Kingdom entirely agree with the United States Government about the desirability of an early peace treaty and about the need for giving it a non-restrictive character calculated to allow Japan a fair start among the free nations of the world. (In this connexion, it will be noted that, in
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response to the views of the United States Government, the draft contains no provision for the reduction of Japan's shipbuilding capacity; His Majesty's Government must, however, continue to reserve their position, pending the outcome of inter-Common- wealth consultation on this point.)
4. The assumption underlying the en closed draft is that it would be against the interests of future relations between the free world and Japan to give the peace treaty a form which was not sufficiently precise or comprehensive and therefore left points of friction open for the future; that it is far better to face difficulties in the treaty and do everything possible to resolve them, within the framework of the liberal type of settle ment which both our Governments wish to ensure; and that a peace treaty of this type is best calculated to ensure the resumption of normal relations between Japan and the participants in the treaty, and, indeed, all the rest of the free world.
5. I should be grateful if your Excellency would hand copies of the draft treaty to the State Department with an explanation on the above lines.
6. Copies of this despatch are being sent to His Majesty's Ambassadors in Paris, The Hague, Moscow, Rangoon and Djakarta, the Commissioner-General for the United Kingdom in South-East Asia, the Acting United Kingdom Representative in Tokyo, and His Majesty's Chargés d'Affaires in Manila and Peking.
I am, &c.
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HERBERT MORRISON.
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