894.501/11–651
The Acting Secretary of State to the Acting Secretary of Defense (Foster)1
My Dear Mr. Foster: With reference to measures to be taken toward ensuring the security of Japan, General Marshall in his letter of September 4, 1951,2 informed the Department of State that the President on August 29, 1951, approved the establishment of a Japanese-manned coastal security force, organized and equipped along normal coast guard lines, composed of vessels with appropriate armament and speed, and under SCAP operational control, to be operated in waters contiguous to the Japanese islands. The text of this policy statement was subsequently transmitted to SCAP in JCS 81770, September 18, 1951,3 together with a request that he take no formal action in the matter until the Department of State had informed certain friendly members of the Far Eastern Commission of the proposed step.
Similarly, in my letter of September 28, 1951,4 which suggested that personnel of the Japanese National Police Reserve be brought in rotation to United States bases in Japan for training in the use of heavy armament, it was requested that no action in this regard be taken until the step had been discussed in advance with certain friendly members of the Far Eastern Commission. Mr. Lovett’s reply to this letter, dated November 6, 1951,5 accepted this suggestion and requested that the necessary discussions be completed as soon as possible in order to permit early initiation of the training program.
These discussions have now been held with representatives of Australia, Canada, France, New Zealand, the Philippines, and the United Kingdom, none of whom has raised any objections to the two proposals. Accordingly, the Department of State perceives no objection to your taking steps for the immediate establishment of the coastal security force and the initiation of the proposed training program for the National Police Reserve.
[Page 1419]During the course of the foregoing discussions, the Australian representative, while indicating that his Government would interpose no objections to the two proposals under reference, reiterated the Australian Government’s view that the rearming of Japan should not proceed too rapidly particularly prior to the coming into effect of the Peace Treaty. He was assured that the United States Government was fully aware of the position of the Australian Government in this regard and at present had no intention of taking action other than had been described.
In addition, several of the representatives expressed the hope that the two proposals would be carried out with as little publicity as possible. The Department of State concurs in this view, and requests that no public announcement concerning the subject of either the coastal security force or the training of the National Police Reserve in the use of heavy armament be made except in so far as it may be deemed necessary to reply to specific inquiries raised by representatives of the press.
Sincerely yours,