No.TS-91010
DATE. 031100
TO. KYUNG MU DAI, FOREIGN MINISTER
I CALLED ON FORMAN SHIGEMITSUMOND, YAETERNOON AND TALKED FOR ABOUT SEVENTY MINUTE. FOREIGN OFFICE ADVISER AMBASSAROR SAWADA WAS ALSO PRESENT AT THE MEETING. SHIGEMITSU TOLD ME THAT HE WANTED TO SETTLE THE RETAIREE ISSUE BEFORE WINTER CAME. I TOLD HIM IMMEDIATELY THAT PESPONSIBILITY FOR DELAY IN SETTLING THIS PROBLEM RESTED SOLELY WITH JAPANESE GOVERNMENT BECAUSE IT FAILED TO CARRY OUT ITS COMMITMENT MADE IN APRIL THIS YEAR. AT THIS POINT AMB. SAWADA SAID THAT JUSTICE MINISTRY WAS CONCERNED BECAUSE IT MIGHT MAKE PRESIDENT IN FUTURE. I INSISTED THAT NO KOREAN WHO ENTERED JAPAN BEFORE THE WAR SHOULD BE DETAIED. SHIGEMITSU THEN SAID THAT THOUGH IT IS TRUE THAT JUSTICE MINISTRY IS RELUCTANT TO CARRY OUT AGREED FORMULA ON DETAINEE ISSUE, HE WOULD TRY TO MAKE THEM IMPLEMENT IT. TAKING THIS OPPORTUNITY I TOLD THEM THAT MAIN OBSTACLES THE WAY OF RESUMPTION OF SUSPENDED TALKS ARE ALLEGED PROPERTY CLAIMS TO KOREA KUBOTA STATEMENT AND DEMANDED WHAT THE REAL INTENTION OF JAPAN WAS IN NOT WITHDRAWING THEM. SHGEMITSU REPLIED THAT JAPAN IS READY TO COMPROMISE ON ALL THE PENDING PROBLEMS.
I ASKED SHGEMITSU, QUOTE AM I CORRECT IN UNDERSTANDING THAT JAPAN WILL WITHDRAW THE PROPERTY CLAIMS UNQUOTE SHGEMITSU SAID, QUOTE UNLESS THE TALKS ARE RESUMED, I CANNOT MAKE ANY COMMITMENT ON THE MATTER UNQUOTE IMPLYING THAT THE WITHDRAWAL OF THE PROPERTY CLAIMS WILL BE CONSIDERED AFTER THE RESUMPTION OF THE TALKS. I THEN TOLD THEM THAT DURING PAST FOUR YEARS ENOUGH TALKS WERE EXCHANGED AND BIGGEST STUMBLING BLOCK IS THE PROPERTY CLAIMS AND IT IS FUTILE TO CONTINUE TALKS UNLESS JAPAN WITHDRAWS THEM. SHIGEMITSU AT THIS POINT STATED THAT HE MUST DISCUSS THE MATTER WITH FINANCE MINISTER BEFORE MAKING ANY COMMITMENT. I TOLD SHIGEMITSU THAT WHEN I WAS IN SEOUL ALL OUR PEOPLE THOUGHT JAPAN INSINCERE BECAUSE SHE FAILED TO WITHDRAW GROUNDLESS PROPERTY CLAIMS. IF JAPAN HAS ANY INTENTION TO SHOW SPIRIT AS A GOOD NEIGHBOR SHE SHOULD WITHDRAW THE PROPERTY CLAIMS WITHOUT DELAY, I SAID. SHIGEMITSU AGAIN SAID THAT HIS GOVERNMENT IS READY TO COMPROMISE. I THEN TOUCHED ON THE PROBLEM CONCERNING ARTICLE FOUR OF SANFRANCISCO PEACE TREATY, POINTING OUT THAT JAPAN HAS NO CLAIM TO HER FORMER PROPERTY IN KOREA. SHIGEMITSU AGAIN SAID THAT IF THE DETAINEE ISSUE IS SETTLED, ATMOSPHERE BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES WILL BE IMPROVED AND WILL TURN IN FAVOR OF SETTLEMENT OF OTHER PENDING ISSUES. ARGUMENT WERE EXCHANGED ON THIS POINT HOWEVER I MADE NO MENTION OF US STATE DEPARTMENT NOTE COSTAINING US INTERPRETATION OF THE ISSUE. SHIGEMITSU THEN TOUCHED ON TRADE BETWEEN KOREA AND JAPAN SAYING THAT TRADE RELATIONS NEED IMPROVEMENT. I SAID THAT KOREA IS NOW BUYING MORE FROM JAP THAN JAP FROM KOREA INCLUDING ICA PURCHASES AND IF JAP DESIRES IMPROVEMENT OF TRADE RELATIONS SHE SHOULD PREVENT DEPARTURE OF THE 48 KOREANS IN QUESTION FOR NORTH KOREA. THOUGH SHIGEMITSU TRIED TO EXPLAIN DIFFICULTY TO COMPLY WITH OUR DESIRE DUE TO LEGAL PROBLEM I MADE IT CLEAR TO HIM THAT OUR COUNTRY WAS DEFINITELY AGAINST ANY SORT OF CONTACT BETWEEN JAP AND THE PUPPETS IN NORTH KOREA. LASTLY SHIGEMITSU SAID THAT THE SETTLEMENT OF BETAINEE ISSUE SHOULD BE MADE WITHOUT DELAY.
I REPLIED TO HIM THAT JAP SHOULD FIRST READ JUST DIFFERENCE OF VIEWS AMONG MINISTERS CONCERNED ON THIS ISSUE AND ALSO JAP SHOULD CONSIDER THE WITHDRAWAL OF THE PROPERTY CLAIMS. IT IS EVIDENT FROM THE ABOVE MEETING THAT JAP IS VERY ANXIOUS TO HAVE HER FISHERMEN RETURNED FROM KOREA ESPECIALY BEFORE WINTER SEASON SETS. IN IF OUR SIDE CAPITALIZE THIS SITUATION TACTFULLY WE CAN MAKE JAP ACCEPT THE US STATE DEPARTMENT INTERPRETATION ON THE PROPERTY CLAIMS ISSUE AND WE WILL DEFINITELY BE IN A BARGANING POSITION AND THEN WE CAN BRING UP OUR CLAIMS TO JAP.
PREMIER HATOYAMA IS NOW SLATLD TO LEAVE FOR MOSCOW AND AFTER HIS RETURN THE PROBLEM CONCERNING HIS RETIREMENT WILL BE TAKEN UP BY JAPANESE POLITICAL CIRCLES. IN THIS SENSE IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THIS IS RIGHT TIME FOR US TO LAUNCH DIPLOMATIC OFFENSIVES AGAINST JAPAN, FOURTEEN.
MINISTER KIM IN KORDIPSION.