110. Telegram From the Embassy in Japan to the Department of State 0
1699. CINCPAC exclusive for Admiral Felt and POLAD. COMUS/Japan exclusive for General Burns. When I met privately with Fujiyama on November 28 he said Kishi had asked him to propose to me a provision for reviewing the treaty. He said that in addition to necessity of being able to defend new treaty against criticism that not even possibility of review existed [garble] years, many Diet members were aware there was a review provision in Article 12 of the NATO Treaty. Kishi was not of course suggesting that the treaty draft which we have agreed can be changed, but he did feel a provision, in the form of an agreed minute re treaty review, which could be made public if necessary in Diet debates, was extremely important. In particular it would enable him to deal with Kono or any other anti-mainstreamers who wanted to make difficulties over the duration or other elements of the treaty. Originally, Kishi had contemplated that agreed minute should specifically mention reviewing the duration of treaty itself but after reflection he felt that a more generalized statement referring only to “aspects” of the treaty and incorporating some language from Article 12 of NATO Treaty would be adequate and probably preferable from our viewpoint. Following is text of proposed agreed minute:
Begin verbatim text:
“Japanese plenipotentiary:
“While the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security is of indefinite duration the period after which either party may give notice for termination has been fixed at ten years. No explicit provision was made for reviewing the treaty because in the agreed opinion of the two governments stability is a very important factor in the security relationship between the two countries. Obviously, if either party should so request at any time while the treaty is in force, the two parties would consult together for the purpose of reviewing any aspect of the treaty or its related arrangements having regard for the factors then affecting peace and security in the Far East.
“United States plenipotentiary:
“The United States Government is of the same opinion.”
End verbatim text.
[Page 237]Comment: Foregoing proposed minute will unquestionably greatly strengthen Kishi’s position, and permit government to deal with criticism which has potentially most damaging appeal inside LDP and with public. I urge its acceptance since it seems entirely consistent with position we have taken re our European Allies in NATO and also since it merely reflects fact that if either party at any time wishes to review any aspect of the treaty the two parties would be obliged to consult together.
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 794.5/11–3059. Confidential; Priority; Limit Distribution. Repeated to CINCPAC and COMUS/Japan.↩