Cablegram ACJ5 TOKYO, 26 April 1946, 5.20 p.m.
MOST IMMEDIATE SECRET
As reported in my ACJ.4 [2] the intransigence of Marquat on procedural questions at the first Council Meeting forced the U.S.S.R., China and the B.C.O.M. members to unite in efforts to preserve the Council’s rights. Though the Council debate was confined to procedural questions it reflected a deeper disagreement about the Council’s position and rights. Following this debate and impasse created by the Council’s inability to agree on procedure, Marquat has been replaced by Atcheson as chairman. This gives grounds for the hope that the S.C.A.P. has abandoned his earlier position and that the chairman will henceforth be primarily a representative of the United States under the direction of the State Department not as heretofore primarily a representative of the S.C.A.P.’s Military Headquarters. This should produce far reaching changes in the Council atmosphere. In these changed circumstances, I feel that it would be inexpedient to initiate discussion on Council’s rights or terms of reference unless and until its rights are again threatened.
Please repeat to the Minister. [3]
Please re-number our ACJ-5 [4] as Secret and personal for the Minister.
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1 All known Canberra copies of this cablegram bear these dates and are marked ‘delayed in transmission’. The Tokyo copy is dated 22 April.
2 See Document 201, note 2.
3 Relayed to Evatt On 29 April as cablegram A36.
4 Document 201. A sign following indicates ‘mutilated’.
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[AA:A1067, ER46/13/24]