160. Memorandum of Telephone Conversation Between President Eisenhower and Secretary of State Herter0
The President telephoned with regard to the Far East trip to say that if he was going ahead with the June 19 trip the advance party would [Page 303] have to be leaving here on Saturday1 so either we have to make our arrangements fairly soon or just agree we make it a date at the end of July. The President said he didn’t know how the Japanese will feel about this. The Secretary said he had sent a wire to MacArthur asking for his view without consultation at this time with the Japanese, but has not yet received the reply. However, the Secretary said he did have two telegrams in from MacArthur, which the Secretary briefly described to the President, reporting statements by Asanuma and MacArthur’s response and the Secretary said he would send these telegrams right over to the President.2 The Secretary said in view of this trip it might look as though it had been postponed because of this left-wing trouble maker. The Secretary said MacArthur may be taking this into consideration which accounts for our not yet having this evaluation. The Secretary said, however, that he agreed entirely that there is urgency in determining this. The President said if the opposition is strong enough, his trip might be embarrassing to Kishi, but, on the other hand, Kishi might feel if the President didn’t come it would appear that state policy is being dictated by his opponents. The Secretary said he had asked MacArthur, at this point, not to talk to the Japanese, but the President said we may have to consult Kishi, with which the Secretary agreed.
- Source: Eisenhower Library, Herter Papers, Telephone Conversations. No classification marking. Drafted by Marion S. Stilson, personal secretary to Secretary Herter.↩
- May 28.↩
- Neither found, but Asanuma’s conversation with MacArthur is described in telegram 3820 from Tokyo, May 24. (Department of State, Central Files, 711.11–EI/5–2460) See Supplement.↩