Letter
of
His Excellency Manuel Roxas
President of the Philippines
To General Douglas MacArthur on sending a five-man Commission on Reparations
[Released on January 6, 1947]
My dear General:
In accordance with understanding, I am sending to Japan a five-man Commission on Reparations composed by Mr. Bernardo P. Abrera as Chairman and Messrs. U.U. Woodhouse, Cosme Ventura, M.H. Ford and Dr. Eduardo Quisumbing, as Members.
They are instructed to report directly to the Civilian Property Custodian to whom they will present their credentials. We have been allowed to send only a limited number of men at this time. There is, however, a large number of subjects they will have to deal with, requiring diverse technological knowledge and skill. It will be necessary, therefore, for me to rotate membership in this Commission. Upon the accomplishment of the mission assigned to an individual member, he will be withdrawn and his place taken over by a new one who would have a different assignment to perform. I trust that this arrangement will be satisfactory to you.
Concerning quarters for the Philippine personnel for this Commission and others we may send in the future, will you kindly consider the possibility of housing them in the building formerly occupied by the Philippine Embassy and which has been purchased by the Puppet Republic?
Allow me to express once again the eternal gratitude of the Filipino people to you. The invitation to send this reparations group to Japan is a renewed manifestation of your deep and unceasing regard for their welfare. I look forward with earnestness and with abiding faith that this mission will in a measure help the Philippines reconstruct herself out of the devastation in which she was left by the last war.
With my warmest regards to you and Mrs. MacArthur and the greetings of the New Year, I remain
Very sincerely yours,
(Sgd.) MANUEL ROXAS
General Douglas MacArthur
Tokyo, Japan
Source: Quezon Family Collections
Roxas, M. (1947). [Letter of President Roxas to General MacArthur on sending a five-man Commission on Reparations]. Quezon Family Collections. The MacArthur Memorial Archives and Library, Norfolk, VA.
