DEPARTMENT OF STATE
AUGUST 13, 1958
FROM:
TOKYO
TO:
Secretary of State
CURRENT PHASE OF INCIDENT INVOLVING EXPOSURE TO RADIATION
OF TWO MSB SHIPS TAKUYO AND SATSUMA SEEMS ABOUT CONCLUDED,
NOTEWORTHY HAS BEEN VERY RESPONSIBLE MANNER WITH WHICH GOJ HAS
HANDLED QUESTION OF POSSIBLE RADIATION SICKNESS AMONG CREW
MEMBERS, IN FACT TREMENDOUS PRESSURES FROM PRESS AND OPPOSITION
TO BUILD UP THIS INCIDENT INTO ANOTHER FUKURY MARU CASE AND
CREATE MAJOR CONTROVERSY WITH US, JAPANASE GOVT HAS LENT WEIGHT
OF TTS PRESTIGE AND INFLUENCE TO QUIET PUBLIC ANXIETY ABOUT CREW
AND ESTABLISH THAT NO RADIATION EFFECTS WERE SUFFERED (EMBTEL
293). AS RESULT, EFFORTS BY PRESS AND LEFTISTS TO BUILD UP
ATMOSPHERE OF HYSTERIA AND THEREBY DRAMATIZE JAPANESE DEMANDS
FOR NUCLEAR TEST SUSPENSION HAVE FALLEN FLAT,
JAPANESE GOVT MAINTAINED ITS POISE THROUGHOUT THIS
SITUATLON AND THUS SUCCEEDED IN FRUSTRATING LEFTIST PLANS TO USE
THIS INCIDENT TO CREATE SERIOUS DIFFICULTIES BETWEEN US AND
JAPAN, HOWEVER, AS RESPONSIBLE JAPANESE: OFFICIALS HAVE TOLD US,
THEIR EFFORTS WOULD NOT RPT NOT HAVE SUCCEEDED WERE IT NOT RPT
NOT FOR FULL AND EXPEDITIOUS COOPERATION OF US GOVT, FLEASE
CONVEY MY PERSONAL APPRECIATION PANTICULASLY TO AEC AND ADMIRAL
BURKE AND HIS PEOPLE FOR THEIR EXPEDITIOUS AND POSTIVE
ASSISTANCE IN HANDLING THIS POTENTIALLY EXPLOSIVE INCIDENT,
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MAC ARTHUR