Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, China and Japan, Volume XIV, Part 2

794.5 MSP/1–554

No. 728
Memorandum by the Special Assistant for Regional Programs in the Bureau of Far Eastern Affairs (Parelman) to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Drumright)

secret

[Washington,] January 5, 1954.

Subject:

• Size of MAAG–Japan

As you know, there has been considerable discussion and interagency review of the matter of the size of the MAAG for Japan. At one point the proposal of the Pentagon was for a MAAG totalling 1489 Americans plus a sizable number of local employees. This would have made it by far the largest MAAG in the world. We now understand that the Defense Department and the Far East Command have agreed on a MAAG of 878 Americans plus a possible addition of 92 for a joint MAAG headquarters. In addition there would be 1206 locals plus possibly 75 more for the MAAG headquarters. These figures indicate that the MAAG for Japan would still be the largest in the world. The Embassy feels that there could be a further sizable cut in this latest figure down to 500 Americans.

It has occurred to me as I have reviewed the latest draft telegram¹ on this subject, that a considerable amount of unrealistic planning is taking place. At the moment there is no specific provision in either the 1954 or the 1955 Mutual Security Programs for military assistance to Japan. The official FOA–Defense position is that all of the Japanese ground forces requirements for FY 1954 can be provided out of the special Japanese program of $528 million of Defense Department funds available for equipment for Japan. A Mutual Security military program for FY 1955 would, at this stage also be conjectural unless the Japanese undertook a more realistic approach to the size of the forces which the United States is urging them to provide for their own defense. Present Japanese plans call for an increase of 24,000 in the ground force with a total increase by March 31, 1955 in all of the armed forces of close to 45,000 over the present 110,000.

Accordingly, for the United States Government to undertake serious negotiations with the Japanese with respect to a MAAG of the size proposed by Defense would, in my opinion, expose the United States unnecessarily to serious criticism as to the size of the MAAG and the cost which this would entail for the Japanese in terms of such local currencies as they may be required to provide.

May I suggest that the State Department strongly support Ambassador Allison by urging upon the Pentagon a far more realistic approach to the MAAG in terms of the MDAP program that materializes. To the extent that the Pentagon has in mind other purposes to be served by the MAAG it may well be that at this stage they can be provided for in some other way without bringing into focus the grossly disproportionate number of people in relation to the size of any presently possible Japanese MDAP program.

1. Sent as telegram 1568 to Tokyo, Jan. 5. In it the Department concluded: “Request Embassy discuss matter FEC in effort reach agreement. If Embassy considers final FEC recommendations excessive Department will again take matter up Defense.” (794.5/12–1453)