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

237. Letter From the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Robertson) to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs (Irwin)¹

Washington, October 17, 1957.

Dear Jack: I am sorry that this reply to your letter of August 2, 1957² concerning United States policies regarding the Ryukyu Islands has been so long delayed. Representatives of our two Departments have had many discussions, however, of this and related matters during the past few months as a result of the visits to Washington of Prime Minister Kishi, Foreign Minister Fujiyama and other Japanese officials. Nevertheless, it seems desirable to reaffirm our position regarding policies which we believe will make possible our continued occupancy of the Islands for as long as “conditions of threat and tension persist in the Far East.”

Your letter of August 2, 1957, alleges a basic difference of view between the Department of State and the Department of Defense on the implementation of United States policy in the Ryukyus. Whatever difference we have involves tactics, not objectives. The State Department is in full accord with the Defense Department as to the necessity for strategic reasons for the United States to remain for a long time in the Ryukyu Islands; also that the United States stake is such as not to brook our sharing administrative responsibilities with Japan. The State Department likewise shares the conviction of the Defense Department that our attitude on this subject should be firm and should be made clear to the Japanese. The major point in your letter upon which we disagree is how to handle the problem of reversionism.

The Defense position, as I understand it from your letter, is that only by taking every possible opportunity for actions and statements to remind the Japanese of the exclusive United States administration and control of the islands will the United States be able effectively to reduce reversionist activity in the Ryukyus and Japan.

The Department of State believes that unnecessary “stirring” of Japanese sentiments of this question will increase rather than decrease Japanese agitation and lead to enhanced reversionist sentiment on the part of the Ryukyuans.

This Department views reversionism in the Ryukyus essentially as an expression of the desire of the Ryukyuan people to belong to a country. It is a basic sentiment that cannot be suppressed. The United States has affirmed to Japan the United States policy that the Ryukyu Islands should eventually be returned to Japan. If this position were to be changed and if the Japanese were to be told that the islands would be alienated from them for the foreseeable future, the effects on United States relations with Japan would be most unfortunate. Acts performed to demonstrate the long-range character of the American presence in the islands can be expected to create anti-Americanism, unrest, and a sharp increase in Japanese agitation and in reversionist activity in the Ryukyus. This would provide additional ammunition for the growing leftist anti-American opposition in the islands.

The development of Japan as a major power in the Far East associated with the Free World is a fundamental United States policy. Since its entry into the United Nations in December 1956, it has also assumed an important position in world affairs. It has a legitimate interest in the Ryukyus whose people are Japanese nationals and over whose territory Japan possesses residual sovereignty. Under these circumstances, Japan could probably muster a substantial body of international support if it chose to protest United States policies and actions in the Ryukyus. Therefore, even under the present degree of control, the United States needs Japanese understanding of the United States position to permit effective carrying out of our program in the Ryukyus. A calculated policy of “snubbing” Japan with respect to the Ryukyus could not only seriously impede currently successful efforts to establish close working relationships with Japan but as a consequence might also hurt our military position in the Ryukyus as well as in Japan itself.

With regard to the proposed introduction of United States currency into the Ryukyu Islands, this Department disagrees that it would have an inhibiting effect on reversionist activities. On the contrary, it could produce strong reaction in the Ryukyus and Japan similar to that caused by the announcement in June 1956 of the new long-term land acquisition program. Such agitation and unrest at this time would add greatly to the growing wave of anti-Americanism and dissatisfaction from which Mayor Senaga of Naha draws his support and which he will certainly try to unify into an opposition movement affecting all of the Ryukyus. The political objections to the introduction of dollar currency are sufficiently serious in our view to outweigh possible economic advantages. Our position on this aspect of the problem was set forth in my letter to Mr. Roderick, dated August 2, 1957,³ to which we have as yet received no response.

Sincerely yours,

Walter S. Robertson⁴

1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 794C.0221/10–1757. Confidential. Drafted in NA on October 14.
2. Not found.
3. Document 203.
4. Printed from a copy that bears this typed signature.