[The following is a transcription of a message received by USS Coronis. The original spelling, punctuation and formatting have been preserved]


UNITED PRESS NEWS
"THE WAR IS OVER". PRESIDENT TRUMAN MADE THAT ANNOUNCEMENT ONE
HOUR AGO, 8:00 AM MANILA TIME AND 7:00 AM WASHINGTON TIME, TUESDAY,
AUGUST 14, 1945.

     THE EMPEROR OF JAPAN STATED HIS ACCEPTANCE OF UNCONDITIONAL SURRE- NDER AND ORDERED ALL JAPANESE ARMED FORCES TO CEASE OPERATIONS AND SURRENDER THEIR ARMS. PRESIDENT TRUMAN HAS ALSO ORDERED ALL UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES TO SUSPEND MILITARY OPERATIONS. THE PRESIDENT HAS ALSO NAMED GENERAL OF THE ARMY DOUGLAS MACARTHUR AS ALLIED SUPREME COMMANDER OF JAPAN.      THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE JAPANESE ACCEPTANCE OF ALLIED UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER WAS ANNOUNCED SIMULTANEOUSLY IN WASHINGTON, LONDON, MOSCOW AND CHUNKING. THE JAPANESE NOTE TO THE ALLIED POWERS STATED THE ACCEPT- ANCE OF BOTH THE POTSDAM DECLARATION AND THE ALLIED NOTE OF AUGUST 11TH WHICH DEFINED THE PWERS OF THE ALLIED SUPREME COMMANDER OVER THE EMPEROR. HEROHITO ALSO SAID THAT HE WAS PREPARED TO ISSUE ANY ORDERS THAT MAY BE REQUIRED BY THE SUPREME ALLIED COMMANDER. JAPANESE IMPERIAL HEADQUARTERS HAS BEEN ORDERED BY THE EMPEROR TO EFFECTUATE THE SURRENDER BY ALL JAPANESE ARMED FORCES.      ALTHOUGH THE JAPANESE HAD ACCEPTED SURRENDER AND BOTH HAVE ORDERED THE SESSATION OF ACTIVE MILITARY OPERATION IT WILL NOT BE V-J DAY OFFICIALLY UNTIL THE FORMAL SIGNING OF THE SURRENDER TAKES PLACE. PRESIDENT TRUMAN STATED THAT THE SIGNING WOULD TAKE PLACE AT THE EARLIEST POSSIBLE MOMENT.      EARLIEST STATEMENTS BY PRESIDENTIAL SECRETARY HAD STATED THAT THE FORMAL SIGNING OF THE SURRENDER MIGHT TAKE SEVERAL DAYS THE JAPANESE SURRENDER OFFER WAS HANDE TO SECRETARY BURNS OF STATE DEPARTMENT BY A SWISS OFFICIAL AT 706 AM MANILA TIME THE IMMEDIATELY BROUGHT IT OVER TO PRESIDENT TRUMAN WHO ACCEPTED IT AND MADE THE ANNOUNCEMENT 54 MINUTES LATER THAT THE WAR WAS OVER.

FOLLOWING BULLITEN FROM THE UNITED PRESS     FOLLOWING IS TEXT OF THE JAPANESE REPLY TO THE ALLIED COUNTER PROPOSAL

     WITH REFERENCE TO THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF AUGUST 10 TH REGARDING THE ACCEPTANCE OF THE PROVISIONS OF THE POTSDAM DECLARATION AND THE REPLY OF THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES, GREAT BRITIAN, SOVIET UNION AND CHINA SET BY SECRETARY BURNS ON AUGUST 11TH, THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT HAS THE HONOR TO REPLY TO THE GOVERNMENTS OF THE FOUR POWERS AS FOLLOWS:     1. HIS MAJESTY THE EMPEROR HAS ISSUED AN IMPERIAL RESCRIPT REGARDING JAPANESE ACCEPTANCE OF THE PROVISIONS OF THE PTSDAM DECLARATION.

    2. THE EMPEROR IS PREPARED TO AUTHORIZE AND INSURE BY AND TO HIS GOVERNMENT AND THE IMPERIAL HEADQUARTERS THE NECESSARY TERMS FOR CARRING OUT THE PROVISIONS OF THE POTSDAM DECLARATION.

    3. HIS MAJESTY IS ALSO PREPARED TO ISSUE THIS COMMUNICATION TO ALL MILITARY; NAVAL AND AIR AUTHORITIES TO ISSUE TO ALL FORCES UNDER THEIR CONTROL WHEREVER LOCATED TO CEASE ACTIVE RESISTANCE AND TO SURRENDER THEIR ARMS.


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Last updated: January 11, 1999

Transcribed for HTML by Patrick Clancey