DEPARTMENT OF STATE
AUGUST 13, 1958
FROM:
TOKYO
TO:
Secretary of State
CURRENT PHASE OF INCIDENT INVOLVING EXPOSURE TO RADIATION
OF TWO NSB SHIPS TASKUYO AND SATSUMA SEEMS ABOUT CONCLUDED,
NOTEWORTHY HAS BEEN VERY RESPONSIBLE MANNER WITH WHICH GOJ HAS
HANDLED QUESTION OF POSSTBT.E RADIATION SLCKNESS AMONG CREW
LBMEGRS, IN FACT TREMENDOUS PRESSURES FROM PRESS AND OFPOSITION
TO BUILD UP THIS INCLDENT INTO ANOTHER FUKURYY MARU CASE AND
canoe MAJOR CONTROVERSY WITH US,
JAPANCSE GOVT HAS LENT WEIGHT
ITS PRESTIGE AND INFLUENCE TO QUIET PUCLIC ANXIETY ABOUT CREW
in BSTAELYSH THAT NO RADIATION EFFECTS WERE SUPFERED (EMSTEL
293).
AS RESULT, EFFORTS BY PRESS AND LEFTISTS TO BUILD UP
AUMOSVHERE OF HYSTERTA AND THEREBY DRAMATIZE JAPANESE DseMANDS
FOR SUCLELR PaST SUSPENSION HAVE FALLEN FLAT,
JEPARSSE GOVT MAINTAINED ITS POISE THROUGHOUT THIS
SPURL LON AND THIS SUCCEEDED IN FRUSTRATING LEFTIST PLANS 0 USE
2418 INCIDENT TO CREATE SERIOUS DIFFICULTIES BEIWEEN US f.ND
JSPAN,
HOVEVER, AS RESPONSIBLE JAPANESE OFFICIALS HAVE TOLD US,
LSatR Esroars WOULD Not RPT NOT HAVE SUCCEEDED WERE IT NOT Rpt
_OF FOR FUSL AND EXPEDITIOUS COOPERATION OF US GOVT,
FLEASE
- ovoY MY PSRSONAL APPRECIATION PANTICULASLY 20 AEC AND ADMIRAL
KE
LAK AND HIS 2BOPLE FOR THEIR EXFEDITIOUS Awe FOSITIVE
A>SLSTANCE
ro
IN HANDLING THIS POTENDTALLY EXPLOSIVE INCIDENT,
MAC ARTHUR
CONAIDENTLAR,