Foreign Relations of the United States, 1955–1957, Japan, Volume XXIII, Part 1

128. Memorandum From the Director of the Office of Northeast Asian Affairs (Parsons) to the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Robertson)¹

Washington, April 19, 1957.

SUBJECT

• Promulgation of the Proposed Executive Order

Captain Robbins of ISA, Office of the Secretary of Defense,² has informed me that Defense very strongly desires to promulgate the proposed Executive Order Providing for the Administration of the Ryukyu Islands as soon as possible. As you will recall the Executive Order is to take the place of the classified Presidential Directive of August 2, 1954 which presently provides the basis for our administration. The present draft³ of the Executive Order was cleared by the Department of State over a year ago. This clearance was subsequently withdrawn when it was decided last December to seek a thorough review of the whole administration set-up. The State–Defense working group established for this purpose was able to define the areas of difference between the two Departments on this subject but was not able to resolve the differences. Ambassador MacArthur has wired from Tokyo his urgent advice⁴ that no action be taken on the Executive Order until the contemplated review by the NSC of our Ryukyuan policies takes place.⁵ He believes—and I agree with him—that the issuance of the Executive Order is the best possible opportunity of stating our long–term policy in clear and unmistakable terms and that it should logically come not only after a review of basic policy rather than before but also after the Kishi visit.

Recommendation:

That you authorize me to inform Defense that the Department of State desires to withhold further action on the Executive Order until the NSC has had an opportunity to review the Ryukyuan question and, in any case, delay promulgation until after the Kishi visit in June.⁶

1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 794C.0221/4–1857. Secret.
2. Captain Berton Robbins, Jr., USN.
3. Not found.
4. In telegram 2351 from Tokyo, April 18. (Department of State, Central Files, 794C.0221/4–1857)
5. Documents ibid., 794C.0221 for the winter and spring 1957 indicate the Department of State interest in a separate NSC paper for the Ryukyus.
6. Robertson initialed his approval of the recommendation. Telegram 2344 to Tokyo, April 26, reads as follows: “Your 2351. Department has made your telegram available Defense and has indicated its concurrence your recommendation Executive Order not to be issued until after Kishi visit.” (Ibid., 794C.0221/4–1857)