Lot 295

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Description:

Fascinating lot of five decoded mimeographs from the headquarters of the U.S. Army Forces, Pacific Ocean Areas, bearing messages from the Japanese Imperial Government weeks before their surrender. These mimeographs, certainly created from original teletypes as 'reading copies' for use by top U.S. military, government, and Allied military officials, are all marked 'URGENT' and all date from August 1945. The first, 4pp. 4to., reads in part: '...His Majesty, the Emperor, issued an Imperial Order at 1600 o'clock on August 16th to the entire armed forces to cease hostilities immediately...members of the Imperial Family will be dispatched as personal representatives of His Majesty to the Headquarters...as regards the request to dispatch a competent representative...to the headquarters of General MacArthur in Manila...it is impossible for us to arrange for the flight on August 17th due to the scarcity of time allowed us...' The second, 3pp. 4to., reads in part: '...Orders have been issued to cease hostilities as soon as local negotiations are concluded...due to the extraordinary efforts of our commanders the above orders have been received and understood except thos which are out of communications...Hostilities are thus coming to an end...'. The third, 2pp. 4to., reads in part: '...the Imperial order has already been given to cease hostilities, the Soviet forces are still positively carrying on the offensive...forces in Manchukuo are meeting great difficulties in carrying out the Imperial order...the parties for the south, reported in our previous message to leave on the 18th, left Tokyo also today...' The fourth, 2pp. 4to., requests the Allied government to allow Japanese pressmen at the time of the Allied landings in Japan and at the surrender ceremony. The fourth, 1p. 4to., bears a response from Supreme Commander MacArthur to the Japanese, permitting them to 'admit 10 Japanese press-man' at the time of the landing of the Allies to the island, and '1 news photographer and 1 news reel cameraman to the surrender ceremony...for the purpose of informing the Japanese people...on the condition that material obtained...be published only in the Japanese homeland...' The lot was taken from a large number of teletypes brought home by Charles F. Hoff, a 'cryptographic message center officer' stationed at Headquarters Army Forces Middle Pacific, charged with sending and receiving messages from Washington to the Pacific, as well as coding and decoding classified documents. Consigned by a direct linear descendant, and sold with a photocopy of a letter of provenance delivered from our consigner to our offices.

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May 22, 2021 10:00 AM EDT
Chesapeake City, MD, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

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Bid Increments
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$100 $499 $20
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 + $10,000