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

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

Tokyo, July 27, 1960, 7 p.m.

308. CINCPAC for POLAD and Admiral Felt. COMUS/Japan for General Burns. Embtel 307.¹ I opened conversation with Foreign Minister Kosaka this morning by giving him full and frank explanation of impact in recent political crisis in Japan and cancellation of President’s visit drawing extensively on Deptel 125.² I said that we fully understood desire of GOJ to improve relations with its communist neighbors but that we hoped they would understand that in any initiatives they took re ChiComs and Soviets there was risk, unless GOJ handled itself carefully, that any such moves might be misconstrued as change in Japan’s policy and drift toward neutralism. I concluded by saying forthright public statements by Ikeda and Kosaka opposing neutralism and stressing Japan’s desire to strengthen relations with US and free world were very well received, but that Japan’s friends abroad were watching to see what Japan did. Kosaka expressed appreciation for frank appraisal and asked me to assure Secretary of Japan’s basic policy of strengthening relations with US and its irrevocable alignment with US and West as set forth in reference telegram.

Kosaka said that while there would be no changes in Japan’s basic policies toward ChiComs and Soviets, Ikeda government must maintain public posture of reasonableness and desire to improve relations with communist neighbors. He would have very much in mind danger I had mentioned that any moves in direction of technical agreements with ChiComs might be misinterpreted. He was inclined personally to agree that negotiation of any technical agreements such as those relating to postal matters, meteorological exchanges, et cetera would be well to avoid prior to elections.

In talking about Japanese-ChiCom relations and problems, Kosaka seemed to respond much more affirmatively and frankly than Fujuyama did when such matters were discussed with him. As Department will recall latter was often fairly evasive.³

MacArthur

0. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 694.00/7–2760. Confidential; Limit Distribution. Repeated to Taipei, Moscow, CINCPAC, and COMUS/Japan.
1. Telegram 307, July 27, summarized MacArthur’s conversation with Kosada that day. (Ibid., 694.00/7–2760) See Supplement.
2. Document 193.
3. In telegram 310 from Tokyo, July 27, MacArthur reported on discussion of Okinawa during his meeting with Kosaka. (Department of State, Central Files, 794C.00/7–2760) See Supplement.