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

794C.0221/7–1554

No. 779
The Secretary of State to the Secretary of Defense (Wilson)

top secret

Washington, July 28, 1954.

Dear Mr. Secretary: I refer to your letter of July 25 [15], 1954¹ in which you enclose a letter to the President recommending his approval of the proposed directive for the United States Civil Administration of the Ryukyu Islands and his approval of General John E. Hull as Governor of the Ryukyu Islands. I am happy that agreement on the directive has been reached and have signed the letter to the President in accordance with your request.²

The final sentence of paragraph 1, Section A of the directive provides: “The Department of State, in consultation with appropriate agencies of the Department of Defense, will in the future exercise all powers of the United States with respect to the relations of the Ryukyu Islands with foreign governments and international organizations.” I have noted that acceptance of this provision is contingent upon the conclusion of an understanding between the Department of Defense and the Department of State with respect to this Department’s foreign relations responsibility for the Ryukyu Islands and the means by which this responsibility is to be exercised. I consider that this Department’s responsibility for the foreign relations of the Ryukyu Islands might include the representation and protection of Ryukyuan interests with respect to foreign countries and international organizations. In my view this responsibility should be exercised through an officer of the Department of State who would act as a consultant on foreign relations to the United States Governor of the Ryukyu Islands or his Deputy. I suggest that representatives of our Departments might be designated to meet and work out the details of such an arrangement.³

Sincerely yours,

John Foster Dulles

1. Document 777.
2. In a memorandum to the Secretaries of State and Defense dated Aug. 3, Paul T. Carroll, a Staff Secretary at the White House, stated that the President had on Aug. 2 approved the directive and had also, pursuant to its paragraph A2, approved General Hull “for appointment as Governor of the Ryukyu Islands.” (794C.0221/8–354) In a memorandum dated Feb. 21, 1955, to Sebald (by then Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs), McClurkin mentioned that the new directive had not yet been announced or implemented. (794C.00/2–2155)
3. In a reply dated Aug. 31, Deputy Secretary Anderson stated: “I agree with your view that the responsibilities of the Department of State for the foreign relations of the Ryukyu Islands should be exercised by an officer of your Department who would act as a consultant on foreign relations to the United States Governor of the Ryukyu Islands or his Deputy. A representative of my staff will contact appropriate officials of your Department to work out details of such an arrangement, together with such other details as may be pertinent to your Department’s responsibility for the foreign relations of the Ryukyu Islands.” (794C.0221/8–3154)