Office of the Historian

133. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Japan1

Washington, May 14, 1957—3:09 p.m.

2502. Your 2587 through 2590.2 Japanese are expecting too much from Kishi visit. It obvious that revision security and territorial arrangements now matters intense national interest Japan while American public unaware existence any problem. U.S. not psychologically prepared for revisions, but Kishi visit can help make American public aware of importance of revision to Japan and importance of Japan to U.S., in hopes paving way for substantive changes which can be discussed in a preliminary way during Kishi visit and which can be alluded to in Communiqué. Communiqué by carrying suggestion of possible future changes to accompany Japan’s growing defense role may substitute for actual treaty revision which not now possible. Agree your suggestions for inclusion in Communiqué. Department now drafting Communiqué. Will forward Embassy well before June 8 meeting for discussion some parts with Foreign Office and Kishi.3

Dulles
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 033.9411/5–1157. Secret; Limit Distribution. Drafted in NA and approved by Parsons who signed for Dulles.↩
  2. In these telegrams, all dated May 11, MacArthur reported on Kishi’s desire to hold extensive additional preliminary talks (prior to the June visit) and to work out in advance a detailed draft of a communiqué. The Ambassador stated that he had discouraged these proposals as tending to turn the preliminary talks into negotiations. Insofar as the draft communiqué was concerned, he had encouraged consideration of only the most general sections in advance. (Ibid.)↩
  3. MacArthur and Kishi met on June 6 rather than June 8. Telegrams reporting on the talk are ibid., 033.9411/6–657. MacArthur does not appear to have presented a U.S. draft communiqué at this meeting.↩