Evening star., 1949-02-17
Royal Denies He Said
Army Would Abandon
Japanif Reds Attacked

Reports in q series of recent
Tokyo dispatches that the United
States intends to withdraw from
Japan have been officially denied
by two top administration officials.
Army Secretary Royal yesterday
admitted at a news conference
that he had met with Tokyo COR
respondents but he fatty denied
that he had told them the Army
planned to abandon Japan in
event of attack by Russia.
A few hours earlier, Secretary
of State Acheson said this coun-
trys intentions toward defending
Japan in event of hostilities remain
unchanged.
Russell Brines. Associated Press
reporter. who attended the Tokyo
conference. said in a dispatch
today that Mr.. Royal had said
that alphabetically, the United
States was entitled to withdraw
from Japan any time it wanted to-
HowrHE Mr. .sssx M .hs
said many times that there would
be no immediate change in :, the
occupation.
Reuters Quotes Transcript.
At no time, the AP reporter said,
did Mr.. Royal or any other high
American official give any indica-
ton that this country actually was
considering Withdrawal from the
occupied natjD5ls 1he@1 stunda-
mental point raised. he said, was
whether the United States had any
obligation to defend Japan. Mr.
Royal said no. Gen. Macarthur
previously had said yes.
The Reuters News Agency of
Great Britain reported Sunday
that it had obtained transcript
of the conference which included
the following from the high mil
itary authority referred to in the
original dispatches and since iden-
titled as Mr. Royal.
II tend to the opinion that it
(Japan) is valueless in the case
of war with Russia. I don't know
what our troops here could do in
the event of the outbreak of war.
1t might be better to pull them out
before war starts. I am not certain
we could hold Japan, nor am I
certain it would be worthwhile as
long as we have Okinawa and the
Philippines"
British to Ask Explanation.
Following the Tokyo meeting,
which Mr.. Royal said was not
news conference but rather. an
informal gathering at which he
was attempting to determine the
correspondents opinions of Japa-
nese conditions. number of
stories were filed to countries all
over the world.
! There was no immediate reac-
ton in most of the worlds cap
itals, especially in Canberra,
Australia, and London. The Brit
ish Foreign Office announced Of
fcially that it was asking the
State Department for an explana-
| ton.
Mr.. Royal was subjected to
barrage of questions on the meet
ing yesterday. He returned from
an 18-day Pacific trip on Tues
day.
II specifically stated that we
did not plan to change our forces
in Japan and we we're prepared
to meet all comers," he declared.
He added that that opinion was
shared by Gen. Macarthur.
Little ECA" for Japan Asked.
Asked if there were any other
high officials present at the Tokyo
conference who might have made
the reported statements, the Sec
retary replied:
LAS far as I can recall, I don't
think any one stated their opinion
that we should withdraw in event
of war" I would not de-
termine what we would do in
event of war and that question
never came up"
Meanwhile, Paul G. Hoffman,
Economic Cooperation Admins
traitor. told the Senate Foreign
Relations Committee that the
Army would like to start little
ECA" for japanese recovery. Mr..
Royal reported that the level of
Japan's economic recovery had
Jumped 20 per cent in the last
, year and that he expected fur