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

238. Memorandum of Discussion at the 340th Meeting of the National Security Council, Washington, October 17, 1957¹

Washington, October 17, 1957

[Here follow a paragraph listing the participants at the meeting and items 1–3.]

4. U.S. Policy Toward Japan (NSC 5516/1; Progress Report, dated September 25, 1957, by OCB on NSC 5516/1)²

Mr. Dearborn³ briefed the Council on the contents of the reference Progress Report, and pointed out the difference of view between State and Defense as to the desirability of a separate U.S. policy statement on the Ryukyus, which State advocated and Defense rejected. Secretary Smith commented that Secretary Dulles believed that if there were a good working relationship between State and Defense on problems like this, there might not be any real need for a policy statement on the Ryukyus separate from the existing policy on Japan. Accordingly, Secretary Dulles wished to recommend that the matter of working relations between State and Defense be investigated before the NSC acted on the split of views on this point in the Progress Report.

The National Security Council:⁴

a. Noted and discussed the reference Progress Report on the subject by the Operations Coordinating Board.

b. Concurred in the proposal by the Department of State that the alternative views of State and Defense regarding U.S. policy toward the Ryukyus be deleted from the Progress Report, and that the question of a separate NSC paper on policy toward the Ryukyus be held in abeyance pending further study by the Departments of State and Defense.

Note: The action in b above, as approved by the President, subsequently transmitted to the Secretaries of State and Defense; and appropriate revisions subsequently circulated to all holders of the reference Progress Report.⁵

S. Everett Gleason

1. Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, NSC Records. Top Secret; Eyes Only. Drafted by Gleason on October 18.
2. The Progress Report is not printed. (Department of State, S/S–NSC Files: Lot 63 D 351, NSC 5516 Series)
3. Frederick M. Dearborn, Jr., Special Assistant to the President for Security Operations Coordination.
4. Paragraphs a–b and the Note that follow constitute NSC Action No. 1806. (Department of State, S/S–NSC (Miscellaneous) Files: Lot 66 D 95, Records of Action by the National Security Council)
5. These revisions were incorporated in the September 25 Progress Report.