133. Memorandum of Conversation0
SUBJECT
- Japanese Domestic Political Situation
PARTICIPANTS
- [Here follows the same list as Document 132.]
The Prime Minister briefly reviewed the domestic political situation in Japan. He said that his party had the full support from the [Page 261] Japanese public during the recent elections. However, leftists and Communist subversive elements in Japan and the Sino-Soviet bloc are attempting to neutralize Japan and separate it from the United States. The President inquired as to the strength of the left-wing opposition. The Prime Minister replied that his Liberal Democratic Party holds almost two-thirds of the Diet seats and the opposition is not a dominant or even great element. He noted that the Sino-Soviet propaganda is currently based on two themes, the dominant theme pointing to the “thaw” in East-West relations particularly since Khrushchev’s visit to Washington and claiming that the new treaty puts Japan in opposition to this trend. The Prime Minister felt that the Japanese people approve this new treaty despite the left-wing opposition. The President noted the importance of the treaty. He also mentioned that the so-called “spirit of Camp David” was a term devised by Communist propagandists for their own purposes.
- Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, DDE Diaries. Secret; Limit Distribution. Drafted by Parsons. See also Documents 132 and 134–138.↩