In a telegram, Shun'ichi Kase, Japan's ambassador to Switzerland, observed that "unconditional surrender" applied only to the military and not to the government or the people, and he pleaded that it should be understood that the careful language of Potsdam appeared "to have occasioned a great deal of thought" on the part of the signatory governments—"they seem to have taken pains to save face for us on various points."
I et telegram, skrev Shun'ichi Kase, Japans ambassadør i Schweiz, at "betingelsesløs overgivelse" kun drejede sig om militæret, og ikke om regeringen eller folket, og han plæderede for at det skulle forstås, at den omhyggelige sprogbrud i deklarationen lod "til at have afstedkommet mange overvejelser" i de underskrivende regeringer — "de lader til at have gjort sig umage for at give os mulighed for at redde ansigt på forskellige punkter."