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

163. Memorandum of a Conversation Between the Secretary of State and Senator William F. Knowland, Washington, May 28, 1957¹

Washington, May 28, 1957

MEMORANDUM OF CONVERSATION WITH SENATOR KNOWLAND AT THE GERMAN EMBASSY

I said to Knowland that we had concluded that there was no practical alternative to allowing the Japanese to go ahead and exercise jurisdiction in the Girard case. I pointed out that this had already been agreed to and I saw no practical way of retracting our steps without throwing doubt upon the value of our agreements and raising a storm which might sweep us out of all the Western Pacific. Knowland said that would be “tough” but he did not indicate either approval or disapproval.

I talked in a like manner to Senator Alex Smith² and to Congressmen GORDON³ and Chiperfield.⁴

JFD

1. Source: Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers, General Memoranda of Conversation. Confidential. Drafted by Dulles.
2. H. Alexander Smith of New Jersey, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
3. Thomas S. Gordon of Illinois, Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
4. Robert B. Chiperfield of Illinois, ranking minority member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.