Office of the Historian

611.94/2–1352

No. 509
The Secretary of Defense (Lovett) to the Secretary of State

top secret
Washington, 13 February 1952.

Dear Mr. Secretary: The Department of Defense has considered recommendations made by Ambassador Rusk in his message No. 14 of 8 February 1952,1 in connection with Article XXII, “Defense Measures”, in the Administrative Agreement negotiations in Japan. There is attached for your information a memorandum by the Joint Chiefs of Staff on this subject dated 11 February 1952.2

Representatives of our respective Departments have discussed this matter and have agreed upon the following redraft of Article XXII:

“In the event of hostilities, or imminently threatened hostilities, in the Japan area, the United States may take such actions as may be necessary to insure the security of its forces in the Japan area, and the Governments of Japan and of the United States shall immediately consult together with a view to taking necessary measures for the defense of that area and to carry out the purpose of Article I of the Security Treaty. Pending the coming into force of such individual or collective security dispositions envisaged in Article IV of the United States–Japan Security Treaty as will satisfactorily provide for the maintenance of international peace and security in the Japan area, the United States may, in agreement with the Government of Japan, establish a combined command and designate a commander thereof. This commander would exercise operational command over all United States forces in the Japan area [Page 1158] and over all Japanese security forces in Japan, except local police, capable of contributing to the defense of Japan. As Japan becomes capable of assuming responsibility for its own defense, this arrangement may be modified by mutual agreement.”

If you concur in the revised draft of Article XXII, it is suggested that arrangements be made to transmit the information to Ambassador Rusk.3 It is my view that inclusion in the Administrative Agreement of the substance of Article XXII, as worded above, is essential.

Sincerely yours,

Robert A. Lovett
  1. Telegram 1649 from Tokyo, Document 500.↩
  2. Supra.↩
  3. The revised draft was transmitted to Tokyo in telegram 2193, Feb. 12, not printed. (611.94/2–1252)↩