Foreign Relations of the United States, 1961–1963, Volume XXII, Northeast Asia

352. National Security Action Memorandum No. 133⁰

Washington, March 5, 1962.

TO

• The Secretary of State
• The Secretary of Defense
• The Director, Bureau of the Budget

SUBJECT

• Ryukyus Action Program

The Secretaries of State and Defense have concurred in the recommendations of the Ryukyu Task Force¹ on the steps it is now desirable to take to improve the security of our tenure in the Ryukyus and our relations with Japan as they are affected by that tenure.

Section I²

Accordingly, I am requesting the Secretary of State to take responsibility for the following measures:

1. Initiation of negotiations with the Government of Japan to provide a framework for a continuing Japanese contribution to economic assistance to the Ryukyus that minimizes interferences with our administrative control and that recognizes, at least tacitly, our intention to continue to administer the Ryukyus for the foreseeable future.³ In the conduct of these negotiations, Ambassador Reischauer should maintain close contact with General Caraway, the High Commissioner of the Ryukyus so that he can play his appropriate part.

2. Presentation to the appropriate members of the Congress of the need for these negotiations and the goals we are seeking to achieve. Also, provision of such assistance to the Secretary of Defense as he may request in supporting his requests to the Congress for legislative changes and increased appropriations in accordance with the recommendations of the Report.

3. A report to me of the earliest possible time at which you think it is suitable to make a public announcement, which would include the recommended changes in the Executive Order, as well as a general statement of our intentions of future action.⁴

If at all possible, I think it desirable to notify the Government of Japan of our desire to initiate this negotiation by the time Assistant Secretary Harriman reaches Tokyo on his present trip.⁵

Section II

In addition, I am requesting the Secretary of Defense to take responsibility for the following measures:

1. Presentation to the Congress of an amendment to the Price Bill,⁶ raising the ceiling on aid to the Ryukyus to a level consistent with the purposes of our proposed program.

2. Adjustment by the Services of their wage policies in accordance with the recommendations of the Report.⁷

3. Selection, in consultation with my office and the Department of State, of a suitable civilian to fill the post of Civil Administrator as soon as practicable, preferably at the retirement of the present Administrator.

4. Instruction to the High Commissioner of the Ryukyus to:

a. speed up the process of giving responsibility and autonomy to the Government of the Ryukyu Islands and extending the liberties of the Ryukyuans to the greatest extent consistent with his fundamental responsibilities, and

b. examine the organization of his own staff with respect to both the problem of encouraging the growth of responsibility in the GRI and assisting in the economic development program recommended in the Report.

In both these actions, the High Commissioner should take the Task Force Report as a policy guide.

c. report to you⁸ in six months and each year thereafter his progress in carrying out the policies of the Report.

5. Initiation of the detailed studies required to carry out the recommendations of the Task Force in respect to social welfare and economic assistance.

6. Preparation of a supplemental budget request for the Ryukyu Islands for FY 1963 covering those items in the recommended program which can most suitably be dealt with now.

Section III

Also, I am requesting the Director of the Bureau of the Budget to prepare an amendment to Executive Order 10713⁹ which gives effect to the following recommendations of the Report: (a) that the Civil Administrator be a civilian appointed by the Secretary of Defense with the approval of the President, after consultation with the Secretary of State; (b) that the chief executive of the Government of the Ryukyu Islands be nominated by the legislature to the High Commissioner; (c) that the term of office of the legislature be three years; (d) that the number of members of the legislature and the boundaries of election districts be made a matter for determination by the legislature, with the approval of the High Commissioner; and (e) that the purposes of the High Commissioner’s use of the veto power be emphasized, and he be required to report his reasons for each veto to the Secretary of Defense.¹⁰

John F. Kennedy¹¹

0. Source: Department of State, NSAM Files: Lot 72 D 316, NSAM 133. Confidential. Copies were sent to Robert Kennedy, the Director of USIA, and General Taylor. The President discussed some of the subject matter of this memorandum with McNamara and the JCS on March 1. (Memorandum of conference with the President by Clifton; Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Clifton Series, Conferences with the President, 10/61-11/62)
1. See footnote 2, Document 350.
2. The numbered sections are handwritten on the source text.
3. Instructions for these negotiations are in telegrams 2684 to Tokyo, April 28; 2697 to Tokyo, April 30; and in airgram CW-9871 to Tokyo, June 11. (Department of State, Central Files, 794C.0221/4-2862, 794C.0221/4-2692, and 611.944/6-1162, respectively)
4. In a statement issued on March 19, the President recognized the Ryukyus “to be a part of the Japanese homeland” and looked “forward to the day when the security interests of the Free World will permit their restoration to full Japanese sovereignty.” He stated that he was asking the Congress to raise the $6 million ceiling on U.S. assistance to the Ryukyus and to “provide over future years a steady increase in loan funds” for Ryukyuan development. The United States would discuss with Japan means for the two countries to cooperate in promoting Ryukyuan economic development. For text, see Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: John F. Kennedy, 1962, pp. 247-248.
5. Harriman was in Japan March 15-16 and 17-20.
6. Apparent reference is to P.L. 86-629, approved July 12, 1960 (74 Stat. 462), and known as the Price Act after Representative Melvin Price of Illinois. It set a ceiling of $6 million per annum on U.S. economic assistance to the Ryukyus.
7. The Task Force Report recommended an increase in wages of Ryukyuan employees of the United States.
8. “SecDef” is handwritten at this point on the source text.
9. Dated June 5, 1957. (22 Fed. Reg. 4007)
10. On March 19 the President signed E.O. 11010 (27 Fed. Reg. 2621) amending E.O. 10713 along the lines set forth above.
11. Printed from a copy that indicates the President signed the original.