149. Telegram From the Embassy in Japan to the Department of State0
2548. For Assistant Secretary Parsons. Department telegram 1852.1 I met privately with Kishi night Feb 6 at his request to discuss the domestic political situation, notably the possibility of early Diet dissolution and new elections.
Kishi said he wished the President and the Secretary in strictest confidence to know of his views on this important matter. In first place he is completely confident that the new security treaty and related arrangements are approved by great majority of Japanese people. Therefore, while he has no present intention of dissolving the Diet, present domestic political situation is not entirely stable and if Diet dissolution is necessary to get a mandate from Japanese people, not only for ratification of security treaty but for continuing in the coming years his firm policy of alignment with the US and the free world, he would not hesitate to dissolve the Diet and call for new elections.
As example of development which might lead to Diet dissolution, he said Socialist Party would probably boycott the final Diet deliberations on new treaty. Should Democratic Socialist Party also boycott Diet, he believed mandate from Japanese people through new elections might be desirable to make clear that the treaty is approved by substantial majority of Japanese people and is not just being railroaded through Diet in absence of opposition parties. This is particularly important because of notorious anti-GOJ attitude of Japanese press. He added there might be other unpredictable internal developments which would cause him to dissolve the Diet even earlier in session. However, he would only resort to dissolution if he felt it essential to get strong support for the new treaty and for the continuation of his firm pro-Western policy.
He concluded by saying he felt chances were 60 to 40 against Diet dissolution and in end even Socialists might decide they did not wish force elections on the issue of new treaty and Japan’s free world foreign policy which is approved by Japanese people. However, if he should decide Diet dissolution was unavoidable he would “act like lightning” and not give advance notice of Diet dissolution. Kishi concluded by saying again that above information on possible Diet dissolution be conveyed to President and Secretary but otherwise be held in strictest confidence.
[Page 286]Comment: It was clear that Kishi fully understands our Congress will probably adjourn by July 3 and that if Senate is to act on treaty this session, treaty will have to go from Foreign Relations Committee to Senate floor not later than beginning of June. I think we can be quite certain that if Kishi decides to dissolve Diet it will be only because he feels that his own position and pro-Western policies are in jeopardy and that his own position will be substantially strengthened through new elections as suggested in Embtel 1931, Dec 18.2
Re penultimate para reftel, while Kishi was under very strong pressures to revise certain agreed aspects of treaty and related arrangements prior to signature, he resolutely refused to re-open agreed arrangements. Now that treaty has been signed in White House we think he will be even more resolute in opposing changes.
Am sending copies this message by pouch to CINCPAC and COMUSJ under cover of letter for their exclusive info.
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 794.00/2–860. Secret; Priority; Limit Distribution. Repeated to CINCPAC and COMUS/Japan.↩
- Document 148.↩
- Not printed. (Department of State, Central Files, 794.00/12–1859) See Supplement.↩