No.51

November 12th, 1959.

Your Excellency:
On Monday I called on the American delegation here to see Minister Villard : I wanted to find out what the US has in mind and to persuade Mr. Villard not to side with the Japanese, as I was disturbed by chestatement issued by the State Department to the effect that the United States does not consider the Japanese deportation plan improper.
We had a talk for about an hour, and exchanged views. Mr. Villard is very well-informed about developments in Japan, and receives information almost daily from Tokyo. According to him since November 4th the number of registrations each day has been more than 1,000, but during the last weekend they dropped sharply to 300, totalling 5,400 - which figure I also received from the Government. I pointed out frankly that the statement issued by the State Department does not serve any purpose from our point of view, and only encourages the Japanese. I also pointed out that the State Department is not well-informed about the real nature of this case and that the situation developing in Japan is now different from that at the time the State Department issued its statement. he told me that within the past two weeks their Tokyo Embassy told the Japanese Government twice that the United States is concerned about the confirmation of free will which should be carried out strictly. I urged that, since the situation in Japan is deteriorating, and in view of the fact that our people are under pressure, the US should request ICRC to withdraw altogether from Japan. He told me that from the US point of view he could not ask ICRC to withdraw, but he could say before ICRC officials that the confirmation of free will should be done strictly. I told him that the machinery which the Japanese set up for the so-called repatriation made it impossible to confirm free will. I pointed out that the US should support ROK, otherwise it would merely be giving the victory to the Communist side, I tried hard to convince him, and he said that unless the State Department instructs him he can do nothing. He then promised to send right away to the State Department a cablegram giving the gist of the conversation we had had.
Mr. Villard told me that he meets President Boissier from time to time, and that the President had also assured him that strict confirmation of will will be done. I then told him the general views of the Executive members of ICRC and the committee members, and saw that he very much appreciated this. 1 urged him that, as the representative of the United States, he should explain to ICRC that the circumstances in which the State Department issued their statement were different from the present situation.
The purpose of my visit was to sae that at least the United States does not side with the Japanese, even though she does not agree with us: this would be helpful, as ICRC is very keen about the attitudes of the great powers. If ICRC were influenced by the statement of the State Department it would be very difficult for my work here.
Minister Villard is the American representative here who contacts ICRC. In this connection, I am wondering whether we might urge the State Department to issue a statement to the effect that it does not approve the registration. But maybe the US is reluctant to do so. At all events, it would be helpful if the State Department does not side with Japan in this Japanese scheme. I sent a cablegram to this effect as scan as I met Minister Villard.
With sentiments of loyalty and esteem,

I remain,

Faithfully yours,

His Excellency President Syngman Rhee,
Office of the President,
SEOUL,
Corée.