Evening star., 1945-09-27
Early Abdication
Hinted, Hirphito
Sees Macarthur
Emperor and General
In 35-Minute Talk
At Tokyo Embassy
By the Associated aress

bJ the Associated .'feSS.
NEW YORK, Sept. 27.-The
British Broadcasting Corp
quoted its Tokyo correspondent.
Douglas Willis, as saying today
that it was strongly believed
Emperor Hirohito expressed his
will to abdicate" during his
meeting with Gen. Macarthur,
and that "the redrafting of the
japanese constitution is already
taking place" NBC heard the
broadcast.
TOKYO, Sept. q iP.-In a visit
unprecedented in Japanese history, ),
Emperor Hirohito today called on
Gen. Macarthur and spent 35 min
utes before an open fireplace dis
cussing the problems of his country
with the Allied leader. American
and japanese officials agreed not
to make public the subject matter
of their talk
The Emperor removed his top hat
and bowed to the Allied supreme
commander as he entered his draw
ing room in the American Embassy.
The ceremony was in sharp contrast
to the usual role of Hirohito, before
whom japanese lower their eyes,
holding it disrespectful even to gaze
on his face
Topics Not Disclosed.
A spokesman of the Japanese
Central Liaison Office, to which all
inquiries were referred, said he per-
sonally knew what the Hirohito-
Macarthur conversation included,
but that he could not reveal it with
out Gen. MacArthur's permission.
While the general and the EN-
peror talked, the Domei news agency
reported that four elements of the
9Th Army's 33d Division had arrived
in the Kobe area on Western Hon.
shu to swell occupation troops there
to 4,500.
Because of the length of the talk,
it was assumed Gen. Macarthur and
Hirohito discussed, generally mutual
problems connected with American
occupation of what remains of the
Mihado's once great empire.
Among possible subjects for dis
cuSSion was that of abdication,
which still is rumored possible-but
without any confirmation whatso-
ever. Marquis Koichi KIDD, keeper
of the privy seal, who is the En-
perors principal adviser in these
matters. told the Associated Press
there is no prospect at present of
abdication because Hirohito person.
ally must carry out the terms of the
Potsdam declaration.
Hirohito and his japanese inter-
prefer were closeted in the state re-
ception room at the embassy which
Gen. Macarthur and his family
have taken over.
Curtain of Car Drawn.
The Emperor'S somewhat old,
dark automobile drove up to the
main entrance carrying the imperial
emblem on the front. The back cur
tain was drawn. Hirohito was sitting
upright in the seat. His grand
chamberlain, Admiral Fujita, who
previously met Gen. Macarthur to
arrange the meeting, was sitting
facing the Emperor
! An attendant jumped out Of the
car, opened the door and bowed.
The chamberlain backed out of the
car, keeping his face to the En-
peror, and bowed as Hirohito got
out.
The Emperor found Brig. Gen.
Bonner Fellers, Gen. MacArthur's
aide, and Maj. Saubion Bower. an
interpreter, awaiting them. Hiro-
hito, in formal diplomatic clothes,
/ took off his silk hat, bowed, and
shook hands with Gen. Fellers, prob
ably an unprecedented thing.
/ Still more unprecedented how
ever, the Emperor again extended
his hand as Gen. Fellers introduced
him to Maj Bower
i Gen. Fellers ushered the Emperor
ahead of him to the state reception
room, where, as he entered the
door, Hirohito bowed in Gen. Mac
Arthurs direction.
Macarthur in Khaki.
! Hirohito found his host wearing
army khaki and an open-throateo
shirt. The supreme Allied com.
mander wore no tie or medals.
The call was informal. A spokes.
man acknowledged that the meet.
ing was "fraught with significance,
but emphasized it was arranged a
the request OF the Emperors rep.
resentative.
!; Gen. Macarthur and Hirohitt
shook hands and the general greet
ed the Emperor with good morn
ing" They posed briefly for pic
ture, then moved to a settee wher
=. they began to talk.
There was a quiet dignity abou
the preliminaries as if Gen. Mac
, Arthur were trying to make tn
visit as painless as possible for tn
Emperor, who for the first time il
the history of the Japanese empir
was calling on a representative of ;
, foreign country.
, One officer who saw the, Empero
close said he appeared to be "al
+ intelligent person"
! The Mikado's route along tn
f Embassy drive was through cordol
of guards commanded by I'd 1t. Ed
ward Schurr, Royal Oak, Mich
These same guards-troops of tn
Sth Regiment of. the 1st Cavalr
Division-were in the flying column
which first entered Manila whel
the Emperor's troops were settin