53. Memorandum of Discussion at the 404th Meeting of the National Security Council0
[Here follow a paragraph listing the participants at the meeting and agenda item 1.]
2. U.S. Policy Toward Japan (NSC 5516/1;1OCB Report, dated April 8, 1959, on NSC 5516/12)
Mr. Harr presented the reference OCB Report on the subject to the Council. He said that the U.S. has no operational difficulties with respect to Japan of such a magnitude as to threaten the successful pursuit of our objectives there, but the OCB believes that our policy toward Japan should be reviewed because it has become apparent, particularly during the eight and a half months covered by the report, that one era of Japanese-U.S. relations has come to an end and another has begun. During this period there has been an easing of the tensions between the U.S. and Japan which stemmed from the vestiges of World War II. Similarly, the period has seen indications of the beginning of a new era in which Japanese dependence upon the U.S. is reduced and Japan is taking an increasingly independent approach to foreign policy. Because the climate surrounding the negotiations for the revision of U.S.-Japanese security arrangements will be the best test of the new era in U.S.-Japanese relations, the OCB recommends that a review of our policy toward Japan be initiated as soon as sufficient time has passed to permit an evaluation of the progress of such negotiations.
Acting Secretary Dillon said he had recently had an opportunity to talk to our Ambassador to Japan about the forthcoming negotiations for a revision in U.S.-Japanese security arrangements. Ambassador MacArthur was optimistic about the possibility of reaching a satisfactory agreement. Yesterday a complete statement of the Japanese position on this matter3 had arrived in the State Department. Ambassador MacArthur and the Japanese Government had agreed that final signatures to a revised U.S.-Japanese agreement should be affixed in Washington before June 20. Moreover, there should be agreement in substance between the two Governments sufficiently early so that the fact of [Page 160] agreement could be announced at least a week before June 2, the date of elections to the Upper House of the Japanese Parliament. Such an announcement would be of considerable help to the Japanese Government against the Socialists in the election. Ambassador MacArthur hopes that the U.S. comments on the Japanese position can be received in Tokyo by May 10. A State-Defense working group is starting today to analyze the Japanese position. Mr. Dillon concurred in the OCB recommendation for a review of our policy toward Japan, but thought that the current negotiations were moving so fast that it might be desirable to delay such a review until June.
The President wondered whether we were adequately staffed to undertake the task of making major revisions in our treaty relations with Japan in such a short time. He recalled that some years ago when we made the first Peace Treaty with Japan we had brought John Foster Dulles in for a year’s work. Mr. Dillon said that the Peace Treaty with Japan was not being revised at this time; the current negotiations concerned only U.S.-Japanese security arrangements. The President said he had been under the mistaken impression that the Peace Treaty was involved.
Secretary McElroy remarked that as we looked down the road ahead, it would be necessary for us to consider very carefully the future security of Japan and our relations with that country. The President agreed; and added that there were two counter-weights to Communist China in the Far East; namely, Japan and India. We had better continue to think very seriously about these two countries.
Mr. Gray said that the Planning Board would review NSC 5516/1 at an appropriate time in relation to progress in the current negotiations.
The National Security Council:
- a.
- Noted and discussed the reference Report on the subject by the Operations Coordinating Board.
- b.
- Noted that the Planning Board would undertake a review of U.S. policy toward Japan (NSC 5516/1) at an appropriate time in relation to progress on revision of U.S.-Japanese security arrangements.
[Here follow the remaining agenda items.]
- Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, NSC Records. Top Secret. Drafted by Boggs.↩
- For text of NSC 5516/1, April 9, 1955, see Foreign Relations, 1955–1957, vol. XIV, Part 1, pp. 52–62.↩
- Not printed. (Department of State, OCB Files: Lot 62 D 430, Japan)↩
- See Document 52.↩