794.5/9–2853: Telegram
No. 692
The Ambassador in Japan (Allison) to the Department of State
806. Yoshida–Shigemitsu1 conference on defense and domestic politics held yesterday. Their joint communiqué, which has received tremendous coverage today’s press, follows in full in unofficial translation:
“In view of the current international situation and the rising spirit of racial independence within the country, it is necessary at this time to clarify a policy of strengthening the self-defense power and to formulate a long-range defense program which is in keeping with the nation’s strength and which will keep step with the gradual reduction in the US security forces.
“In accordance with the above, the national safety agency law will be immediately amended to convert the national safety force to a self-defense force and to give it the duty of defense against direct aggression.”
Press roundup and Embassy comments will follow2 but it is most encouraging to note that one of first concrete steps agreed upon was amendment of law under which national safety force was powerless to act in case of direct aggression. I recall that Senator Knowland was particularly concerned when he learned of this and so informed Yoshida.
- Mamoru Shigemitsu, President of the Progressive Party. The Progressive Party and the Hatoyama faction of the Liberal Party were engaged in informal negotiations with the Prime Minister with the intent of arriving at a basis for a coalition of conservative parties.↩
- In telegram 832 from Tokyo, Sept. 30, the Embassy commented in part: “Yoshida’s objectives were evidently to: (a) prepare for defense build-up in which Conservatives jointly will share responsibility; (b) lay basis for Liberal-Progressive cooperation in next Diet and thus to further possible coalition or amalgamation; and (c) strengthen Ikeda’s bargaining position in Washington.” (794.5/9–3053)↩