Office of the Historian

794.00/11–852: Telegram

No. 612
The Ambassador in Japan (Murphy) to the Department of State

secret
Tokyo, November 8, 1952—4 p.m.

1496. During call on Prime Minister last night at his residence Yoshida made following statements to Allison and me:

1.
Japan intends to make some specific offer on reparations to Philippines. Foreign Minister Okazaki will work out details. (Same statement made to Allison later in evening by Wajima of Foreign Office who promised more details next week.)1
2.
New Japanese Government will adhere to Dodge line in fighting inflation. While Ikeda no longer Finance Minister he remains in Cabinet and according to Yoshida new Finance Minister has agreed.
3.
Government will shortly establish information agency with primary object of educating Japanese people in necessity of rearmament. Ogata, Chief Secretary of Cabinet2 is in charge of making plans for this new organization.
4.
Crown Prince will go to London via Canada for coronation of Queen Elizabeth and it is hoped he can return via US and spend several weeks in the US. This must be kept strictly confidential until formal approval is received from Queen Elizabeth for Crown Prince to represent Emperor at coronation.
5.
On the subject of rearmament Yoshida said that time is necessary to adjust public opinion. As a result of the war great prejudices exist especially on the part of Jap women against the military. NPR had suffered because of these prejudices and that is why it is necessary that the new national safety force appear to public in favorable light. The public dreads the expense of a military establishment. We said that as he knew Americans did not like the expense either but Soviet aggression and expansionism left no alternative.

Murphy
  1. Further documentation on this particular initiative is in file 294.9641 for late 1952 and early 1953. Japan and the Philippines did not reach a reparations settlement until 1956.↩
  2. Taketora Ogata held this post Oct. 30–Nov. 29, 1952, after which he became Vice Premier until the resignation of the last Yoshida cabinet on Dec. 9, 1954.↩