U.S. Ambassador Informs State Department About Japanese Nuclear Debate

december 11, 1999
U.S. Ambassador Informs State Department About Japanese Nuclear Debate The U.S. Ambassador to Japan, John Allison, informed the U.S. Secretary of State about the public debate following reports that the United States planned to deploy nuclear weapons in Japan in accordance with a secret agreement. The telegram reported that "top foreign ministry officials" played down the scandal saying that the Japanese government had promised in the Diet that "atomic stockpiling will not be permitted in Japan and American's [are] not planning [to] do so." A spokesman for the U.S. Far East Command also denied the exsistence of a secret agreement but denied to discuss location of nuclear weapons. The Far East Command publication Standing Operating Procedures for Atomic Operations in Far East Command from the same time identified 13 locations in Japan that either had nuclear weapons or components, or were earmarked to receive nuclear weapons in times of crisis or war. Obtained under the Freedom of Information Act September 1988		Japan FOIA Documents Source: U.S. Department of State, Telegram, U.S. Embassy Tokyo to Secretary of State, [no subject], Control No. 15228, July 30, 1955. Obtained under FOIA. pdf format (see below for text-version)

FULL TEXT

INCOMING TELEGRAM

DEPARTMENT OF STATE

ACTION COPY

Control: 15228
Rec'd: JULY 30, 1955, 2:20 P M

FROM: TOKYO

TO: Secretary of State

NO: 266, JULY 30

NEWSPAPERS JULY 30 GIVE ATOMIC WEAPON STORY TOP PLAY WITH LEADING HEADLINES ABOUT DIET REPERCUSSIONS AND HATOYAMA'S DENIAL OF SECRET AGREEMENT WITH US. SUMMARY PRESS REPORTS FOLLOWS:

ANSWERING EMERGENCY INTERPELLATIONS IN UPPER HOUSE PRIME MINISTER DENIED ANY KNOWLEDGE OF REPORTED AMERICAN PLAN TO STATION IN JAPAN. HONEST JOHN ROCKETS; CONTRADICTING EARLIER REPORTS FROM WASHINGTON THAT ROCKETS COMING HERE UNDER TERMS OF SECRET AGREEMENT NOT COMMUNICATED TO DIET, HATOYAMA SAID THERE WAS NO SECRET AGREEMENT BETWEEN US AND JAPANESE GOVERNMENTS.

FOREIGN MINISTER SHIGEMITSU STATED MOVE NOT PREVIOUSLY KNOWN HERE AND GOVERNMENT SEEKING EXPLANATION AND CLARIFICATION FROM US. AMERICAN REPLY EXPECTED JULY 30. TOP FOREIGN MINISTRY OFFICIALS SAID PEOPLE AND PRESS TAKING MATTER TOO SERIOUSLY; POINTED OUT GOVERNMENT HAS PROMISED IN DIET ATOMIC STOCKPILING WILL NOT BE PERMITTED IN JAPAN AND AMERICANS NOT PLANNING SO.

FEC MILITARY SPOKESMAN ALSO DENIED SECRET AGREEMENT BUT SAID JAPANESE GOVERNMENT HAD BEEN ADVISED IN ADVANCE THAT ROCKETS WERE BEING SENT TO JAPAN; HE DELINED ELABORATE AND REFUSED DISCUSS LOCATION OF ATOMOC AMMUNITION. EXPLANATION GIVEN THAT HONEST JOHN CAPABLE FIRING EITHER CONVENTIONAL EXPLOSIVES OR ATOMIC SHELLS BUT THAT ATOMIC WARHEADS WOULD NOT ACCOMPANY ROCKETS WHEN THEY ARRIVE UNSPECIFIC FUTURE DATE.

DURING INTERPELLATIONS HATOYAMA SAID NOT NECESSARY HAVE WRITTEN PLEDGE US WILL NOT BRING ATOMIC WEAPONS TO JAPAN AND SAID A-BOMBS AND A-GUNS WERE "DIFFERENT THINGS ALTOGETHER." HE ADDED GOVERNMENT OPPOSED EXTENSION OF RUNWAYS FOR NEEDS OF BOMBERS CARRYING ATOMIC WEAPONS BUT SAID LENGTHENING WAS ONLY FOR JET FIGHTER PLANES. ALSO GOVERNMENT WAS OPPOSED TO STATIONING BOMBERS HERE.

AMID

UNCLASSIFIED

[NEW PAGE]

UNCLASSIFIED

-2- 266, JULY 30, FROM TOKYO

AMID HEAVY COVERAGE THIS SUBJECT IN VERNACULAR PRESS ASAHI 30TH REPORTED SOCIALISTS MAY SUBMIT NONCONFIDENCE MOTION AGAINST FONMIN DEPENDING ON HIS REPLIES IN DIET TODAY. YOMIURI HEADLINE STATED US EMBASSY ALSO UNINFORMED OF DELIVERY ATOM ROCKETS.

ALLISON

UNCLASSIFIED

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Source: U.S. Department of State, Telegram, U.S. Embassy Tokyo to Secretary of State, [no subject], Control No. 15228, July 30, 1955. Obtained under FOIA.

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