Documents with Commentaries Part 1 Military Defeat and Efforts to Reform the Constitution
This material, dated October 8, 1945, was prepared by the Subcommittee for the Far East (SFE), an organization under the State-War-Navy Coordinating Committee. The committee used it to create "Reform of the Japanese Governmental System" (SWNCC 228) dated January 7, 1946, which became the official policy of the U.S. government regarding the reform of the Japanese Constitution. The policy states that reasonable opportunity should be given for Japanese authorities to alter their own government system, but if they did not do so, the Supreme Commander should order the Japanese authorities to amend their Constitution. Specifically, it would be necessary to amend the constitution to provide that if the Japanese decided to retain the institution of the emperor, the Emperor would act in all important matters only on the advice of the Cabinet, that fundamental civil rights should be guaranteed both to Japanese subjects and to all persons within Japanese jurisdiction. In all there are nine items.
| Actual Title of Source | Politico-Military Problems in the Far East: Reform of the Japanese Governmental System (PR-32) |
|---|---|
| Date | October 8, 1945 |
| Document Number | Records of SWNCC, Records of the Subcommittee for the Far East "SFE142-152"<SFE-1 Roll No. 8> |
| Repository (reproduction) | National Diet Library |
| Repository | U.S. National Archives & Records Administration (RG353) |
| Note | Microfilm |
