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TLS, one page, 7.5 x 9.75, General Headquarters, Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers, Office of the Supreme Commander letterhead, July 10, 1948. Letter to Maury Maverick concerning the International Military Tribunal for the Far East in Tokyo, commonly known as the Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal, in full: “I have received and read with considerable interest your letter of 30 June about the trial now going on in Tokyo before the International Military Tribunal for the Far East. I appreciate the great interest you are taking in it and the obviously large amount of time and thought which you have given to certain of the principles involved, both in this and in the Nurnberg trial.
I am convinced, however, that a visit to Tokyo for the purpose you outlined would be fruitless. The principles established to guide the action of the court were adopted by the Far Eastern Commission in April 1946, and that body is the only one with adequate authority to make any alteration in them. It would seem highly doubtful that the Commission would see fit, after the passage of so much time and at this stage of the proceedings, to take such action. It is to them, however, that the argument and proposals you have in mind should be presented. Without a change in their basic directives on this subject, there is nothing that could be done along this line in Tokyo. With renewed appreciation for your continued interest in occupation affairs, and for your kind personal messages.” Double-matted and framed with a photograph of MacArthur to an overall size of 19 x 15.5. In fine condition.
An insightful postwar letter from General Douglas MacArthur concerning the International Military Tribunal for the Far East, the Allied court established in Tokyo after World War II to prosecute Japanese military commanders, government officials, and other leaders accused of war crimes committed during the conflict. Following Japan’s surrender in September 1945, MacArthur was appointed Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers and became the central authority overseeing the American-led occupation and reconstruction of Japan. In January 1946, he issued the Tokyo Charter, the document that formally created the tribunal and established the legal procedures and classifications of crimes under which defendants would be tried, paralleling the better-known Nuremberg Trials held in Germany after the war. Written during the final months of the proceedings, this letter finds MacArthur emphasizing that the tribunal’s governing principles rested with the Far Eastern Commission, despite his own major role in creating and administering the court. A revealing look at the layered authority behind MacArthur’s administration of the Tokyo war crimes trials.
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