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T H I S D O C U M E N T I S T H E P R O P E R T Y O P H I S B R I T A N N I C MAJESTY*S G O V E R N M E N T
Printed
for the Cabinet.
August
1945.
SECRET.
Copy No.
C M . (45)
22nd Conclusions.
CABINET 22 ( 4 5 ) .
CONCLUSIONS
of a Meeting of the Cabinet held at 10 Downing
on Tuesday, 14th August, 1945, at 10-45 f.m.
Street, S.W. 1,
Present:
The R i g h t Hon. C . R. ATTLEE, M.P., P r i m e Minister (in the
Chair).
The R i g h t Hon. H E R B E R T MORRISON,
M.P., Lord President of the Council.
The R i g h t Hon. E R N E S T BEVIN, M.P.,
Secretary of State for Foreign
Affairs.
The R i g h t H o n . A R T H U R GREENWOOD,
M.P., Lord Privy Seal.
The R i g h t Hon. H U G H DALTON, M.P.,
Chancellor of the Exchequer.
The R i g h t Hon. Sir STAFFORD C R I P P S ,
K.C., M . P . , President of the Board
of Trade.
The R i g h t Hon. A. V . ALEXANDER,
M.P., F i r s t Lord of the Admiralty.
The R i g h t Hon. LORD J O W I T T , Lord
Chancellor.
The R i g h t Hon. J . CHUTER E D E , M.P.,
Secretary of State for the Home
Department.
The R i g h t Hon. F . W . P E T H I C K LAWRENCE, M.P., Secretary of State
for I n d i a and Secretary of State for
Burma.
The R i g h t Hon. J . J . LAWSON, M.P.,
The R i g h t Hon. VISCOUNT STANSGATE,
Secretary of State for A i r .
The R i g h t Hon. J . WESTWOOD, M.P.,
The R i g h t Hon. G . A. ISAACS, M.P.,
of Labour a n d National
The R i g h t Hon. E . S H I N WELL, M.P.,
Minister of Fuel and Power.
The R i g h t Hon. E L L E N W I L K I N S O N ,
M.P., Minister of Education.
The R i g h t H o n . A N E U R I N BEVAN, M . P . ,
Minister of Health.
Minister
Service.
Secretary of State for W a r .
Secretary of State for Scotland.
The R i g h t Hon. T. W I L L I A M S , M.P.,
Minister of Agriculture a n d Fisheries.
Secretariat.
Sir
EDWARD B R I D G E S .
General Sir H A S T I N G S L. ISMAY.
Mr.
NORMAN BROOK.
CONTENTS:
Subject:
J a p a n ....
Surrender.
[30692-2]
....
....
...
Page
- - - ­ -
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**6
Japan.
Surrender.
(Previous
Reference:
C M . (45)21st
Conclusions,
M i n u t e 2.)
The Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs said t h a t earlier in
the evening he had heard, by telephone from Mr. Byrnes, the United
States Secretary of State, t h a t the U n i t e d States Government had
received a reply to the communication sent to the J a p a n e s e Govern­
ment on the 11th A u g u s t on behalf of the four Allied Governments,
Mr. Byrnes h a d given him the substance of this reply and had said
t h a t the U n i t e d States Government considered t h a t it constituted a
satisfactory acceptance of the terms of the Potsdam Declaration.
They therefore proposed t h a t the J a p a n e s e surrender should be
accepted by the Allied Governments, a n d t h a t an announcement to
this effect should be made forthwith. I t was proposed t h a t the
announcement should be released at 7 p.m. in Washington, which
would be the equivalent of m i d n i g h t B r i t i s h Summer Time.
A
further message h a d since been received from Mr. Byrnes to the
effect t h a t the Soviet and Chinese Governments had accepted his
proposal for an announcement a t 7 p.m. W a s h i n g t o n time.
The Foreign Secretary said that he had taken steps to obtain
t h r o u g h the U n i t e d States Embassy the text of the reply from the
J a p a n e s e Government; and he suggested t h a t the Cabinet should
reserve their final decision until they had h a d an opportunity of
examining the text. Meanwhile, it would be advisable to ask the
B.B.C. to w a r n the public to stand by for a n important announce­
ment which might be made a t midnight.
This suggestion was agreed to, and the B.B.C. were asked
at 11 p.m. to issue a w a r n i n g notice in the terms suggested.
Later in the meeting, the Foreign Secretary received from the
U n i t e d States Embassy the following text of t h e reply from the
Japanese Government:—
" W i t h reference to the announcement of the 10th A u g u s t
r e g a r d i n g the acceptance of the provisions of the P o t s d a m
Declaration a n d the reply of the Governments of the U n i t e d
States, G r e a t B r i t a i n , the Soviet Union a n d China sent by
Secretary of S t a t e Byrnes on the date of the 11th August, the
J a p a n e s e Government has the honour to communicate to the
Governments of t h e four Powers as follows :—
" ( 1 ) H i s Majesty the Emperor has issued a n I m p e r i a l
rescript r e g a r d i n g J a p a n ' s acceptance of the pro­
visions of the P o t s d a m Declaration.
" (2) H i s Majesty the Emperor is prepared to authorise
and ensure the signature by his Government and the
I m p e r i a l General H e a d q u a r t e r s of the necessary
terms for carrying out the provisions of the Potsdam
Declaration.
" (3) H i s Majesty is also prepared to issue his commands
to all the Military, Naval a n d A i r Authorities of
J a p a n , and all the Forces under their control, where­
ever located, to cease active operations, to surrender
arms and to issue such other orders as may be
required by the Supreme Commander of the Allied
Forces for the execution of the above-mentioned
terms.
(Signed)
TOGO."
Some discussion ensued on the interpretation of the t h i r d p a r a ­
g r a p h of this reply. I t was suggested t h a t the demand of the Allied
Governments had been t h a t the Emperor should comply w i t h direc­
tions given to him by the Allied Commander; and t h a t the proper con­
struction of t h e reply was t h a t the Emperor would command his
M i l i t a r y , Naval a n d A i r Authorities to comply w i t h directions
given to them by the Allied Commander. The language of the reply
m i g h t have been deliberately chosen to avoid p u t t i n g the Emperor
in t h e position of having to accept the directions of the Allied Com­
mander. After discussion, it was agreed t h a t the terms of the reply
could be regarded as satisfactory on this point, since they would
ensure t h a t the Military, Naval and A i r Authorities of J a p a n would
be commanded by the Emperor to comply w i t h such directions as
might be given to them by the Allied Commander for the purpose
of securing compliance with the provisions of the Potsdam
Declaration.
The C a b i n e t ­
(1) Agreed t h a t the reply from the J a p a n e s e Government could
be regarded as a satisfactory acceptance of the condi­
tions set out in the communication sent on behalf of. the
Allied Governments on the 11th A u g u s t ; and agreed that
t h e P r i m e Minister should announce a t midnight the
news of J a p a n ' s surrender.
The P r i m e Minister read to t h e Cabinet the text of the
announcement which he proposed to make, and outlined the arrange­
ments for celebrating the end of the war. Wednesday and Thursday,
the 15th and 16th August, would be celebrated as holidays : His
Majesty The K i n g would broadcast a t 9 p.m. on the 15th A u g u s t :
the two Houses of P a r l i a m e n t would hold their Services of Thanks­
giving at 4 p.m. on the 15th A u g u s t ; and thereafter both Houses
would move Addresses of Congratulation to H i s Majesty.
The
Debate on the Address would be opened on Thursday, the
16th August.
The Cabinet—
(2) Took note with approval of the arrangements proposed by
the P r i m e Minister.
Cabinet Office, S.W. 1,
14th August, 1945.