176. Memorandum of a Conversation, White House, Washington, June 4, 19571
SUBJECT
- Presentation of Credentials to President Eisenhower by the Japanese Ambassador
PARTICIPANTS
- The President
- The Ambassador of Japan, Koichiro Asakai
- The Chief of Protocol, Wiley T. Buchanan, Jr.
[Here follows discussion of unrelated subjects.]
The Japanese Ambassador then (he told me he would not have discussed anything of the substantive nature had not the President opened the discussion) commented on the easing of trade restrictions with Red China. He stated to the President that the decision by Great Britain had put the Japanese Government in an extremely embarrassing position and further stated that the Japanese Government’s primary interest was in continuing their position at the side of the United States Government, though an action such as the British made it difficult. The President said he appreciated that and realized that there would be many times when there would not be an identical position taken by all of our allies. He pointed out that we had not agreed with the French and British in the Suez crisis but that we had stuck to the policy that we felt would be just. Then he elaborated to the Ambassador that he felt that no doubt France would follow suit in trading with Red China and after France, possibly Italy and others. He continued that he felt it extremely important for Japan with ninety million people and an agrarian territory the size of California to trade for their very survival. The President added that the Administration had more or less inherited the position of the embargo on the Red Chinese and he was more or less of the opinion that it was wise to trade as much as possible with practically all nations. He stated he felt that one could in many instances interest the people in these countries in our way of life and in his opinion a corollary objective was not to allow their own countries, in this instance Japan, to be honeycombed with red cells which would “fascinate the peoples of their country with another way of life.” The Ambassador thanked the President for his understanding position and stated that he hoped there would be as little disagreement as possible in our negotiations between the two countries.
- Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, International File. Confidential. Drafted by Buchanan.↩