201. Memorandum of Conference With President Eisenhower0
OTHERS PRESENT
- Ambassador MacArthur
- Colonel Eisenhower
The Ambassador opened by expressing his regrets that the President’s visit to Japan last June had been cancelled. The President said that not all had been lost. He had received floods of letters from the Japanese expressing their regrets. The Prime Minister of Japan had been included in these letters.1 Although the politicians had tried to exploit the setback to their advantage, recent developments have more or less put them in their place.
The Ambassador said that riots of the same nature had taken place in 1958. The disturbances then had been over proposed changes in police laws. Again last January, when the Mutual Defense Treaty had been signed, mobs had stormed the airport and forced Kishi to take a back road to his residence. Up to this time the leadership in Japan has been [Page 408] inclined to brush these matters under the rug. The papers and trade unions had been very tolerant. This incident they could not brush under the rug and all elements are doing something about it. The Ambassador expects that police laws will be strengthened.
The Ambassador continued that Kishi failed to understand public opinion. His arbitrary actions had combined with the fact that he had been in the Tojo cabinet to bring about his downfall. Ikeda is different and a big victory for his party is expected in the November election, particularly if he can limit the number of candidates who run in his own party.
The President said he thought that politicians in this country are little better than irresponsible. The Ambassador agreed. He had had lunch with a Kennedy2 advisor and had expressed the hope that developments in Japan would not be made into domestic political issues. He had pointed out that the demonstrations were not primarily against the U.S. The Kennedy advisor had said he would do his best to avoid making this an issue but could make no promises.
The Ambassador expressed his wish that the President could still make the trip to Japan. The President said that Ikeda had expressed the the same wish in a letter.3 The Ambassador said that a time had not been pinpointed, but that the invitation was sincere and the President could visit Japan either before or after elections.
The President pointed out that a trip to Japan would have to be a long one. As a result, he could not stay long. He is booked up for the month of October and for the month of November through the 24th. There could be a possibility of a visit to Japan early in December, although it is still possible he will meet de Gaulle and Macmillan at that time. He summarized it is doubtful that he can visit Japan while President. For four or five months after leaving the Presidency he might take a trip. He admitted that he will miss having the Boeing-707 to travel around in. The Ambassador pointed out the trip to Japan is an easy 14-day voyage by water.
The Ambassador then reported that relations between Japan and Korea are improving. He himself had seen Kosaka the other day, who promises to be a fine Foreign Minister. Kosaka had visited Korea4 and [Page 409] was criticized for this move. The Ambassador does not, however, consider the criticism serious. He expects Kosaka to be a better Foreign Minister than Fujiyama and feels that the departure of Syngman Rhee will be an aid to relations.
In answer to the President’s question, the Ambassador said he had been in Japan for four years. He has enjoyed his tour and considers the Japanese great people, although they are difficult to understand, being so different from us. Although the shortage of land inhibits agriculture, they are industrializing well and they appreciate greatly the President’s understanding of their problems.
The President noted that he had cited problems faced by the Japanese in his Gettysburg College speech as far back as April 1959.5
The conversation then turned to family matters, and in closing, Ambassador MacArthur said he had seen his uncle (General Douglas MacArthur) recently and had been asked to express the General’s appreciation for an invitation to the Crown Prince’s dinner.6
- Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, DDE Diaries. Secret. Drafted by John Eisenhower.↩
- Not found.↩
- John F. Kennedy, Senator from Massachusetts and Democratic candidate for President.↩
- Delivered by Kosaka on September 12; for text and the President’s September 16 reply, see Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1960–61, pp. 699–700.↩
- Kosaka paid a good will visit to the Republic of Korea September 6–7. (Telegram 292 from Seoul, September 6; Department of State, Central Files, 033.9495B/9–660) See Supplement.↩
- Entitled “The Importance of Understanding” and delivered on April 4, 1959; for text, see Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1959, pp. 309–316.↩
- The President gave a state dinner in honor of the Crown Prince and Princess on September 27.↩