Historical Dictionary of United States-Japan ... - Bakumatsu Films

GENERAL HEADQUARTERS/SUPREME COMMANDER FOR THE ALLIED POWERS • 87
European country, the United States required a large-scale institution.
Consequently, on 5 August 1945, Washington established the Military
Government Section (MGS) within GHQ/AFPAC. On 15 August
1945, President Harry Truman appointed MacArthur as Supreme
Commander for the Allied Powers to give authority to implement surrender
provisions of the Potsdam Declaration. GHQ/SWPA was demolished.
MacArthur was both commander-in-chief for AFPAC and
supreme commander for the Allied Powers for occupation of Japan.
On 30 August 1945, MacArthur arrived at Atsugi, Kanagawa. On 2
September, an instrument of surrender was signed by the United
States and Japan on the battleship Missouri. On 17 September 1945,
MacArthur moved GHQ/AFPAC from Yokohama to Tokyo. In order
to govern more than 70 million Japanese people with different languages,
customs, and traditions, the MGS required a large number of
highly skilled civilian administrators. Consequently, the Economic
and Scientific Section (ESS) and the Civil Information and Education
Section (CIE) became separate institutions from the MGS on 15 September
1945 and 22 September 1945, respectively.
Finally, on 2 October 1945, the MGS was dissolved and General
Headquarters, Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers
(GHQ/SCAP) was established with the general staff section and the
special staff section. The general staff section consisted of four parts:
G1 (personnel), G2 (intelligence), G3 (operation), and G4 (logistics).
The special staff section consisted of nine sections: Legal Section
(LS), Public Health and Welfare (PHW), Government Section (GS),
Civil Intelligence Section (CIS), Natural Resources Section (NRS),
Economic and Scientific Section (ESS), Civil Information and Education
Section (CIE), Statistical and Reports Section (SRS), and Civil
Communications Section (CCS). GS took the initiative in promoting
demilitarization and democratization; however, GS severely confronted
G2 in terms of methods and orientation of U.S. occupation
policies in Japan. GS with many New Dealers in the section tended
to support progressive forces in Japan, such as the Tetsu Katayama
and Hitoshi Ashida administrations, while G2 supported the Shigeru
Yoshida administrations. The special staff section expanded to 11
sections in January 1946 and 14 sections in the end.
General MacArthur came to serve concurrently as Supreme Commander
for the Allied Powers and Commander-in-chief for AFPAC.