99. Letter From the Ambassador to Japan (MacArthur) to Secretary of State Herter0
Dear Mr. Secretary: I read with great interest the Eyes-Only telegram No. 782 of October 21 which was sent me on your talk with Finance Minister Sato about the possibility of a visit to Japan by President Eisenhower next year to commemorate the 100th anniversary of U.S.-Japanese diplomatic relations.
While I, of course, fully realize from my days in the Department when I personally worked with the White House staff in making arrangements for two of the President’s trips abroad, the many problems visits to foreign countries raise for the President, it would be a splendid and indeed superb thing if the President could visit Japan. I have in mind that following his visit to Moscow he might return to the United States via Japan and the Pacific. If time were a factor he would not have to stay in Japan more than two days and indeed in a pinch 36 hours would probably do the trick. Since it is the 100th anniversary of U.S.-Japanese relations and in view of the tremendous importance of Japan as the only real element of positive free world strength in all of Asia it would be, it seems to me, most appropriate for him to stop over here. If it were treated as a stop-over visit on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of U.S.-Japanese relations following the Moscow trip, it seems to me we would have a good argument to rebut any other friendly Asian country that might also wish to have the President visit their country.
I do hope that the President will be able to consider at least the possibility of such a stop-over in Japan. Next year will be the most critical year for U.S.-Japanese relations since the end of the war, and depending on what happens we will either move forward into even closer association or the links which we have forged will begin to loosen. A visit by the President would of course help greatly to bolster those Japanese leaders who are our friends, who believe that the closest possible cooperative relations with the United States are of basic importance to Japan’s future, and who are struggling to counter the accelerating Sino-Soviet campaign to neutralize and isolate Japan.
To the extent that we succeed in creating a public image here that United States interests in the Far East are not secondary to United States interests in Europe and that the United States attaches equal importance to its alliance with Japan as it does to West Germany or other NATO [Page 224] countries, the more we shall strengthen our friends here and ensure the stability and the strengthening of U.S.-Japanese relations. In this respect, you might wish to tell the President that in my judgment no single thing the United States could do would have as great an impact on the-Japanese nation and people as a visit by him.
With every good with and warm regards,
Sincerely,