JAPAN RATIFIES U.S. TREATY

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29235, 20 June 1960, Page 11

JAPAN RATIFIES U.S. TREATY

Attempts To Block Passage Fail

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec.9pm.) TOKYO, June 18. tonight Umted States ’ Ja Pan Security Treaty was approved

The 30-day period required for passage of the bill to ratify the treaty expired at midnight. Socialist and Communist attempts to disrupt Japanese parliamentary procedure failed.

Outside the Diet, anti-Govemment parades built up a massive 5“? e !?. ca ! threat’ hut at midnight, the deadline, the crowd was ju in f V? p . disappearing in the direction of the cabarets and beerhalls in Tokyo s entertainment district.

Hie Socialist and Communist parties prevented the Government from formally having the treaty approved in the Upper House. Hiis would, however, have been only a gesture. Socialist members of the Diet today physically prevented Government party members from entering the chamber. This also was only a gesture. The Japanese Constitution was applied and the bill to ratify the treaty became law at midnight Socialist Claim The Socialist Party’s central executive committee issued a declaration against the approval of the treaty, which, it said, was -null and void.” The statement said the treaty vas invalid because of the Diet process used to approve it Lower House discussions when only governing party members approved the treaty violated Diet regulations. It said the right of Op-

position parties had been infringed when the Government brought police and “hoodlums” into the Lower House and the Upper House so that the deliberations could be discussed only among ruling party members. The contents of the treaty violated the Japanese Constitution and the United Nations Charter, the Socialists said. It violated the preamble and Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution when it provided that Japan would offer her territory and facilities to United States military forces in the Far East, promised to cooperate with the United States in military operations and that Japan would maintain her own military forces. The treaty violated the United Nations Charter in that it virtually regarded the Soviet Union and mainland China as imaginary enemies under the guise of maintaining peace in the Far East. The statement said the treaty had no authority or power to bind the Japanese people. The Diet was the supreme organ of the State and the will of the people should be followed.

The chief Cabinet secretary, Mr Thusaburo Shiina, in a statement read before reporters minutes after midnight, said that with the

security treaty ratified, the way was paved towards preventing war. The revision of the treaty was the most important event for the Japanese Government for a long time. Mr Shiina said that by keeping close ties with the United States, Japan would be able to guarantee her freedom, democracy, peace and prosperity. Commenting on the recent series of anti-Government demonstrations, he said it was clear there was within Japan itself a clash between East and West. He said the Soviet Union repeatedly intervened in the domestic politics of other countries. It had issued statements opposing the security treaty. The present opposition to the treaty in Japan itself was from only a minority of Communists inspired by international communism. Mr Shiina said that with the treaty ratified, the Government would exert efforts to increase friendly relations with the United States.

Almost all of the Japanese people supported the security treaty “from the bottom of their hearts." Mr Shiina concluded: “With the treaty ratified, the way is paved towards the prevention of war.”