Foreign Relations of the United States, 1958–1960, Japan; Korea, Volume XVIII

92. Despatch From the Embassy in Japan to the Department of State⁰

No. 191

Tokyo, August 11, 1959.

REF

• Embassy Despatches 1460¹ and 164² of June 22 and August 4, 1959

SUBJECT

• Diet Discussions of the Security Treaty Issue in June and July

1. Conclusions

The Diet debates so far have disclosed not only the fundamental positions of Government and opposition but also some detailed elements of the new Mutual Security Treaty and related documents and the precise lines of attack against them.

The principal issues at present concern the consultation formula (whether consultation means agreement and, if so, why it is not so stated); the duration of the treaty (whether a shorter duration than ten years would not preferable); the Vandenberg Resolution article (whether a constitutional safeguard phrase can overcome the doubts about constitutionality of the entire treaty); attacks against American bases in Japan (whether it is reasonable to bring the treaty into operation in such a case even if, hypothetically, Japan was not an intended victim); the phrase “peace and security in the Far East” (whether this would tend to justify American military operations outside the treaty area, and would call for Japanese acquiescence in such operations by virtue of such language); and the provisions of the Administrative Agreement dealing with customs, labor and rights outside of military facilities and areas.

As regards the present relations between Government and opposition, the above catalogue probably lists the principal issues in order of their importance, but that order may well have changed by the time the ratification debate actually begins. Both the relative rankings and the principal arguments concerning each issue may still undergo considerable change, particularly if the opposition is encouraged by dissension within the Liberal Democratic Party concerning any of these issues.

[Here follows the remainder of the despatch; see Supplement.]

0. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 794.5/8–1159. Confidential. Drafted by Martin F. Herz, First Secretary of Embassy. Copies were sent to POLADCINCPAC and to the American Consular Unit at Naha.
1. In despatch 1460 from Tokyo, “Diet interpellations on the Security Treaty negotiations,” June 22, the Embassy reported that Socialist members in the Diet strongly attacked the provisions for prior consultation as inadequate to avert the danger of having Japan drawn into a conflict through uncontrolled actions of the United States. The Socialists also attacked the mutuality provisions of the draft treaty. (Ibid., 794.5/6–2259)
2. Despatch 164 from Tokyo, August 4, contains an English translation as well as a summary of a pamphlet on security treaty revision published by the LDP in its effort to explain and defend current negotiations. (Ibid., 794.5/8–459)