Cablegram 38 CANBERRA, 28 February 1947
As you will note from our telegram containing the text of portion of the Minister’s statement of 26th February dealing with the Japanese settlement, we feel that the time is rapidly approaching when the work of the F.E.C. should be vested in a Pacific Peace Conference to deal with the problem of the settlement with Japan and that the signing of the peace settlement would not necessarily involve immediate withdrawal of the Allied Occupation Forces.
Please discuss the question of the peace settlement with General MacArthur and ascertain his views on the timing of the Peace Conference and the matters which would require Allied supervision following the settlement. [1]
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1 On 5 March the Embassy in Washington was instructed to ascertain, informally, FEC members’ views on consideration of an early peace settlement.
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[AA : A1838, 483/1, i]