Kishi To Resign

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29239, 24 June 1960, Page 13

Kishi To Resign

(Rec. 11.10 p.m.) TOKYO, June 23. The Japanese Prime Minister, Mr Nobusuke Kishi, announced today that he would resign

now that the United

Sta tes - Japan Security Treaty had finally been ratified.

He gave no date for his resignation.

The Opposition Socialist Party called his resignation “a victory for the Japanese people” and urged that a caretaker government be formed to prepare for new elections. Mr Kishi said the first task now facing Japan was the restoration of law and order. He said he was disturbed at the extent of Communist infiltration among the rioters against the new treaty in the last few weeks.

In Washington the State Department declined to issue formal comment on the Tokyo announcement Mr Kishi's decision, however came as no surprise American officials and Congressmen, while describing opposition to the treaty as Communist-led, have acknowledged the difficulty of Mr Kishi’s position in the face of an admitted degree of neutralism and pacifism in Japan and the failure of the Japanese Government to deal sternly with the riots of the last few weeks. Predictions were made during the ratification debate in the United States Senate that Mr Kishi would have to step down and call a new General Election.