Cablegram 1166 WASHINGTON, 21 August 1946, 9.05 p.m.
IMMEDIATE
FEC193. Japanese Antarctic whaling.
Reference your 1215. [1]
1. Plimsoll called today on John Carter Vincent, Head of the Far Eastern Division of the State Department, and put your views.
Vincent was very uncomfortable and said that MacArthur was acting on his own initiative and that State Department could only guess at the interpretation S.C.A.P. placed on FEC-035.
2. In reply to (C) Vincent said that cables received this week from S.C.A.P. indicated that the last convention being referred to in Tokyo was dated 1938, and that the 1945 Act had been overlooked.
3. In reply to (D) he said MacArthur had stated that the Japanese were particularly adept at using ships and equipment that other Nations would not be prepared to use, and Vincent thought that S.C.A.P.’s comment on (D) would be that the ships etc. would be unsuitable for use by other nations.
4. Your (E) produced the biggest effect on Vincent, who admitted it was hard to answer.
5. The State Department will send a further message to S.C.A.P. in the light of this interview in order to obtain additional information. Until an answer was received, Vincent was not prepared to say what action the United States Government would take, but was inclined to think that FEC should discuss the matter. Your (D) would probably require FEC decision.
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1 Document 78.
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[AA:A1067, P46/10/10/3/1, i]