Foreign Relations of the United States, 1958–1960, Japan; Korea, Volume XVIII

172. Telegram From the Embassy in Japan to the Department of State⁰

Tokyo, June 8, 1960, 9 p.m.

4082. For Assistant Secretary Parsons from MacArthur. Information Taipei for Stephens and Hagerty. Embtels 4080¹ and 4081.² Greatly appreciate your 2906.³ Our present over-all assessment of probable Japanese reaction to President’s visit is as follows:

1. We must expect strong demonstrations against President by pro-Communist groups, including Socialist Party, Sohyo, Nikkoso, and various Communist-front groups in line with Moscow’s hard line. Moscow and Peking are committing all their available reserves to present internal struggle in Japan to defeat security treaty, and in particular they are opposing President’s visit as they fear that it will prevent them from turning anti-Kishi and anti-security treaty struggle into nationwide anti-American movement. In other words we should be encouraged by fact that Communists estimate the President’s visit will strengthen Japanese-American relations and hinder present Communist offensive in Japan. As we all know, because of developments in Japan timing of President’s visit is unfortunate because of conjuncture of his arrival and treaty ratification June 19 which gives pretext to leftists for demonstrations. (However Kishi hopes to have Upper House ratify by June 16 or 17.) While it is too bad there will be demonstrations, as long as President’s personal safety is not compromised, I think we should view pro-Communist demonstrations in same general light that we view Khrushchev blasts.

However, overwhelming majority of Japanese people are friendly to US and appreciate great assistance we have given them since end of war which has helped them so greatly in their reconstruction. Furthermore, Japanese people are traditionally extremely polite and friendly to visitors. We believe they will receive President with friendship and courtesy. While except for extremists Japanese are notoriously undemonstrative publicly, we think that if leftists overdo their opposition to visit many Japanese will feel called upon to applaud President vigorously to counteract possible impression in American and foreign eyes that he is not warmly welcomed here. We know GOJ and certain members of LDP are working quietly to this end with important groups who themselves spontaneously wish to give President warm welcome.

As result of meetings I have had with press and public information media, business and political leaders, I think press will also soon begin to call on Japanese people to welcome President warmly. Kishi is also working on newspaper owners. There has been so much confusion here and so many reports about postponement that press has not come out in favor of visit yet for reasons I indicated earlier in Embtel 4081 and also because they feel visit may strengthen Kishi whom they hate blindly. However, we believe there will now be good press support for visit although I am not yet certain press will take strong stand against Socialists re visit.

Despite foregoing, Zengakuren will make major effort to create unpleasant demonstrations against Hagerty when he arrives here Friday and there will not be restraints on such demonstrations against Hagerty that there would be on similar demonstrations against President (see Embtel 4073).⁴

Many people who are friendly toward US, while not wishing President to back down and postpone visit because of Communist pressure, at same time have been very much afraid of very adverse reaction in America if there are demonstrations against President. Some (particularly intellectuals) also considered the timing bad and fear it will enmesh President in political struggle going on here. They have suggested postponement of two to three weeks, but when it is pointed out that Communist opposition to visit will hardly change in that period and prospect will be for demonstrations even then, they reluctantly agree that this is true. On other hand, a number of Japanese leaders in business and politics feel that great struggle is now taking place in Japan, on outcome of which depends Japan’s future political orientation (either with West or neutralism) and that President must go through with his visit and not give Communists victory by postponing. In past three days a number of my diplomatic colleagues, including Asians and Westerners, have asked me anxiously about reports that President might postpone his visit and have all stated that it is imperative (A) that President go through with visit as planned, and (B) that Kishi Government stand firm in ratifying treaty, as backing down to Communists will create domino reaction in free Asia.

Number of anti-mainstream LDP leaders have been calling for postponement of visit since they feel President’s visit may somehow bolster Kishi. I have talked with some of them and now that it is crystal clear that President will proceed as planned, I believe most will climb on band wagon and say that President’s visit is welcome, although I do not expect either Ishibashi or Matsumura to be helpful.

I of course realize how concerned you all must be in Washington, particularly in view of very alarming and perhaps sometimes exaggerated reports in our press. For example, such demonstrations as have thus far occurred in and about Embassy have been relatively calm affairs with no revolutionary or deep anti-American fervor evident even among some of Zengakuren students. I will continue to keep you informed, of course, about reactions to visit, but we here on firing line feel that situation with respect to Japanese press has now turned and that with knowledge that visit will take place as scheduled there will be increasingly strong support from majority of press, prominent leaders and personalities, and public favoring President’s visit.

MacArthur

0. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 711.11–EI/6–860. Confidential; Niact. Transmitted in two sections and repeated to Taipei.
1. Telegram 4080 from Tokyo, June 8, reported the plans of Sohyo, the JSP, the Zengakuren, and the People’s Council to oppose Kishi; the President’s upcoming visit; revision of the security treaty; and expected rallies during Presidential Press Secretary Hagerty’s visit June 10–11. (Ibid., 794.00/6–860) See Supplement.
2. Telegram 4081 from Tokyo, June 8, described MacArthur’s meetings with Japanese newsmen, Diet members, and business and intellectual leaders to explain the purpose of the President’s visit. (Department of State, Central Files, 711.11–EI/6–860) See Supplement.
3. Telegram 2906, June 7, expressed appreciation for Embassy reporting on the Presidential visit and asked for an assessment of probable Japanese reaction to the visit. (Department of State, Central Files, 711.11–EI/6–760) See Supplement.
4. Telegram 142 from Tokyo to Taipei for Stephens and Hagerty, repeated to the Department as 4073 for Parsons, June 8, discussed Hagerty’s schedule and warned him that there would be demonstrators to greet him at the Haneda airport in Tokyo. (Department of State, Central Files, 711.11–EI/6–860)