171. Memorandum of Telephone Conversation Between President Eisenhower and Secretary of State Herter 0
The President telephoned with regard to his forthcoming trip to the Far East. The Secretary said with regard to General van Fleet1 that, as Mr. Dillon mentioned, our area experts thought his accompanying the President might be embarrassing because of van Fleet’s known close association with Rhee. The President said he wasn’t unaware of that but, on the other hand, he seemed to be like Jose Rizal or something. The President said what he is worried about is this thing building up in Japan; that he was not disturbed by the people in Congress or on TV who think they know better, but that he was disturbed as to whether Kishi may be making a mistake in using the President for an internal thing.
The Secretary said we have gone into this very carefully; that he didn’t think Kishi has much a chance of hanging on. Secretary said Kishi has identified himself so much with this Treaty, but that it is the ambitious people in his own party who feel that three years is enough as Prime Minister that are making Kishi’s life the most miserable. The Secretary mentioned the wire from MacArthur yesterday2 reporting the large group of students and others who have volunteered to Kishi to be out there cheering for the President. The President said he knew there would be no attempts to physically harm him, but he said the only thing he wonders is how far the United States can take the risk of having its President embarrassed and, therefore, embarrass their country. The President said he was almost getting to the point of feeling he ought to see whether his own country feels he is making a mistake. The Secretary said he knew the President’s concern and said we have the same concern and have been watching it carefully. The Secretary said he thought the President should continue with his plans but be prepared at the last minute if the situation changed in Japan to defer this. The President said he is going to take the rest of the trip anyway, but he would not want to cancel the Japan portion after he had started on the trip; that if Japan is to be cancelled this should be announced before the trip. The Secretary [Page 328] said such cancellation would happen only if the responsible Government in Japan recommended the President not come, but the Secretary said he thinks they have things under good enough control; that there is an important issue here as to whether these troublemakers should be allowed to get away with something but, on the other hand, we have the President’s own situation very much in mind. The Secretary said he thought that there will be a demonstration, but mentioned that in the last by-election on May 19th3 where the whole issue was on the Treaty, the candidate supporting the Treaty won by 75% on this issue. The President said he is anxious that the people of Japan understand the purpose of an American delegation going to Japan is to pay respects to a sister democracy and to celebrate with them their Centennial and not to try to be appearing as a supporter of a Treaty, of Kishi, or anything else. The President thought it might be helpful if we could put this idea across before his arrival and mentioned the Secretary perhaps making a statement when he leaves here. The President said he is worrying because he wouldn’t want a big effort such as this to be a flop; that if it proved futile people would say he wouldn’t listen to warnings. The President mentioned Fulbright’s comments in the Press.4 The Secretary said he had told the Foreign Relations Committee in Executive Session that the question of postponement had been gone into and the Kishi Government felt a postponement would look like giving into this pressure group and it was felt the President should therefore go ahead. The Secretary said the Committee felt the decision was a wise one and was completely sympathetic. The President said he was trying now to get together a speech for the Diet, but it is a sorry thing when you think you are going in there with armed guards at the doors.
- Source: Eisenhower Library, Herter Papers, Telephone Conversations. No classification marking. Drafted by Stilson.↩
- General James Alward Van Fleet, U.S. Army, Commander of the U.N. forces in Korea, 1951–1953.↩
- In telegram 4042 from Tokyo, June 6, MacArthur reported that he learned from Funada on June 4 that the Japanese Government expected special groups of “friendly demonstrators” totaling about 200,000 to 300,000 to line the route between the airport and the Imperial Palace upon the President’s arrival in Tokyo. (Department of State, Central Files, 794.00/6–660) See Supplement.↩
- A reference to the by-election for the House of Councillors in Kumamoto Prefecture held on May 18. LDP candidate Susumu Nogami won the election. (Airgram G–9 from Fukoka, May 19; Department of State, Central Files, 794.00/5–1960)↩
- Fulbright urged the President to delay his trip to Japan. See The New York Times, June 7, 1960.↩