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

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

Tokyo, July 14, 1960, 6 p.m.

158. CINCPAC and HICOMRYIS for POLADs. Embtels 133¹ and 144.² While full significance Ikeda’s election as LDP President will not become clear for some time to come, certain points stand out.

Primary fact is that, barring totally unforeseen developments, Ikeda will be elected PriMin succeeding Kishi whenever plenary session of Diet is convened. It is not yet certain whether this can be accomplished by current regular session which ends midnight July 15. However, LDP SecGen Kawashima expected consult this evening with counterparts in JSP and DSP re calling Diet into plenary. There is considerable doubt that opposition parties will agree to plenary before session ends in which case an extraordinary session will be convened within few days to vote on PriMin.³

Long-time Yoshida protegé, Ikeda has consistently advocated pro-American, anti-Communist policies. As member third Kishi cabinet, he supported new security treaty, although maintaining contact with certain of Kishi’s opponents (notably Miki) at times during treaty debate. Immediately following election, he told press Japan must rebuild its international confidence and that Japan’s policies must be such as to command respect of Communist powers.

Hours leading up to Ikeda’s election featured by intense back-stage maneuvers in what press described as showdown battle between “bureaucrats” (Ikeda supporters) and “professional politicians” (Ishii supporters) within LDP. In highly charged atmosphere, there was much speculation that party split was inevitable. Following Ono’s withdrawal from race, ostensibly to “crush plutocracy” (Embtel 133), “professionals”, including Kono, Miki, Matsumura, and Ishibashi, made last-ditch efforts to garner sufficient votes to stop Ikeda. (Matsumura withdrew this morning in favor of Ishii.) Meantime, Kishi, who had previously authorized factional followers to vote as they pleased, yesterday urged them to unite behind Ikeda. Kawashima, recently a Kishi man but formerly close to Ono and Kono, acted for a while as though he might support Ishii but later shifted back to Ikeda. Fujiyama remained in race until last, though apparently with understanding he would lend his support to Ikeda in second ballot run-off. (All of 49 votes cast for Fujiyama on first ballot apparently went to Ikeda on second ballot.)

One of major tasks facing Ikeda will be to reestablish unity in party, a problem complicated by fact that it was his own candidacy, more than anything else which gave rise to threatened LDP split. Particularly delicate will be his relations with those LDP elements who opposed him in campaign for Presidency. (As reported Embtel 133, Kono, for instance, fought him bitterly, fearing isolation with Ikeda as head of LDP and government.) Ikeda is ambitious and can be expected to try to create party unity in order to have the support he will require if he is successfully to cope with Japan’s pressing problems foreign and domestic. (But whether the breach with Kono can be plastered over seems very doubtful.)

First test for Ikeda will come in formation new cabinet and designation principal party officers.⁴ If Ikeda succeeds in producing strong lineup which broadly represents LDP factions without sacrificing principles, then the divisive forces operative in closing period Kishi’s tenure as LDP President will be reduced in strength. If he fails as result of antagonisms created during his quest of party presidency, then both he and LDP will face difficult days.

MacArthur

0. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 794.00/7–1460. Confidential; Priority. Repeated to CINCPAC, HICOMRYIS, COMUS/Japan, and all consulates in Japan.
1. Telegram 133 from Tokyo, July 13, reported Ono’s withdrawal from the LDP race for presidency and the maneuvers of other LDP factions. (Ibid., 794.00/7–1360)
2. Telegram 144 from Tokyo, July 14, reported that Ikeda was elected LDP President on the second ballot. (Ibid., 794.00/7–1460)
3. Ikeda was elected Prime Minister in an extraordinary Diet session held on July 18.
4. Ikeda announced his new cabinet and top LDP officers on July 19. (Telegram 197 from Tokyo, July 19; Department of State, Central Files, 794.13/7–1960)