The Policy of the United States Concerning the Northern Territories: The Dulles Initiative in Making Peace with Japan

The Occupation of Japan : Studies from Various Viewpoints

Abstract

One of the causes of the Northern Territories Problem was the failure to apply to the territories “the principle of non-aggrandizement” which the Allied countries, including the Soviet Union, confirmed during World War II. Why did such a thing happen? In an attempt to solve this problem, I will analyze how the Northern Territories were dealt with in the policy of the United States when the Japanese Peace Treaty was drafted by John Foster Dulles.
The provisions of the treaty concerning the Northern Territories are as follows. In Article 2, Japan renounces the Chishima Islands and Southern Karafuto. We can find two problems here. First, “the Chishima Islands” are not defined. Second, the future status of the Chishima Islands and Southern Karafuto are not defined. According to Dulles, Article 22, which provides that a dispute concering the interpretation or execution of the treaty could be referred for decision to the International Court of Justice, is of use for solving the first problem. But, the article is practically useless, because the Soviet Union would not sign the treaty. Moreover, due to Article 25, the Soviet Union cannot gain “any rights, titles or benefits” by the treaty. Therefore, the second problem also was not settled in the treaty.
Article 26, too, has a problem. It says, “Should Japan make a peace settlement or war claims settlement with any State granting that State greater advantages than those provided by the present Treaty, those same advantages shall be extended to the parties to the present Treaty.” In 1956, when Japan was about to recognize the possession of the Chishima Islands and Southern Karafuto by the Soviet Union in the bilateral peace negotiations, Dulles intervened on the grounds that if such a settlement was realized, the United States also should be rewarded with the Ryukyu Islands by Article 26.
Why has the treaty, drafted by Dulles, a competent lawyer, presented so many problems regarding the Northern Territories? Dulles tried to make the Soviet Union sign the treaty with the bait of the Northern Territories, and he had to overcome the difference of opinions regarding the disposition of Taiwan with the United Kingdom. He also had to take the opinions of the Senate and the Pentagon into consideration. Moreover, Dulles was afraid that the Japanese would be dissatisfied with the separation of the Ryukyu Islands and would then arouse anti-American feelings. Therefore, he devised such provisions that the Japanese would be more frustrated with the Soviet Union over the Northern Territories.
Dulles adopted realism and power politics, treating the Northern Territories as a bargaining chip. This was one of the main reason why “the principle of non-aggrandizement, ” which conformed with idealism and democracy, was not applied to the Northern Territories.