Tokyo Post Files: 320.1 Peace Treaty
Memorandum by the Director of the Office of Northeast Asian Affairs (Allison) to the Acting United States Political Adviser for Japan (Sebald)
The attached document2 is the most important of all these papers. It was prepared by Mr. Dulles in consultation with Max Hamilton, John Howard, Bob Fearey and myself. We have discussed it with the Secretary and other chief officers of the Department, not with a view to making decisions based on it, but primarily to determine whether or not we were all thinking along the same lines. There was general agreement with the paper, as attached, although there were certain specific objections raised and certain queries. With regard to Tab 3, particularly the security phases of it, there is no hard and fast opinion in the Department. At the meeting with the Secretary, I strongly urged the thorough consideration of a security arrangement providing for a phased withdrawal of occupation forces to be completed within three years after the ratification of the treaty without retaining bases in Japan for a further period. The Secretary expressed general agreement with this idea, on the understanding that the phased withdrawal would be so arranged that should conditions warrant, from a security point of view, it would be possible to reverse the process and retain such troops and bases as might be [Page 1213] deemed necessary. In further discussion it was suggested that such an arrangement might be secured on the basis of mutual agreement of the Japanese and the Commander of the occupation forces on the determination of a real need. However, there are no hard and fast opinions about this matter and we are still on a quest for certainty. It is hoped that you will have an opportunity to read this and think about it; perhaps discuss it with some of the people in your own office so that when we return to Tokyo we will be able to have your ideas with respect to this paper. I leave it to your discretion as to what distribution you make of this paper, but would suggest that it be confined to a minimum.
Mr. Dulles is particularly interested in the answers to the questions raised on page 2 of Tab 1 in numbered paragraph 2. Perhaps Carl Boehringer3 can be of help on this. We also have a group working on it back in the Department, but the comments of the people on the spot would be most helpful.