Cablegram [Following] for the Minister from Macmahon Ball 22,
IMMEDIATE SECRET
1. At yesterday’s meeting of the Council atmosphere was probably worse than at any past meeting. Though there was no display of anger there was a prevailing sense of futility about the proceedings.
2. Chu took no part in the discussion and I said very little. For about an hour Atcheson and Derevyanko exchanged hostile statements.
3. Atcheson continued to show his tendency to link me with Derevyanko. His statement that I criticized the Japanese Commission for investigating the causes of the war and the food was inaccurate (see Minutes of the Ninth Meeting page 20-23).
4. His statement that I had ‘misrepresented’ its purposes was baseless. Yesterday, however, he made a public relations press release of section of the verbatim Minutes containing these allegations before these Minutes had been confirmed and before other Council members had had an opportunity to correct possible stenographic errors. These Minutes are ‘restricted’ but he took this action without consulting the other Council members. I have written to him to protest against this action.
5. After my short statement on the discussion between Derevyanko and Atcheson on the demobilization issue Atcheson said ‘well I still continue to hope that the British Commonwealth member and I will see eye to eye on some subjects on some occasion’. I could see no reason for this remark since my comments had expressed substantial agreement with Atcheson and had not criticized his stand in any way. I regard his statement as a good illustration of the irritation and impatience he . . . tends to show at any statement by other Council members which fails to applaud unreservedly the action of MacArthur or his deputy on the Council.
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[AA:A1838/238, 482/1/3]