ANGER IN: JAPAN OVER. VISIT OF. NUCLEAR SUBMARINE |
The U.S. nuclear submarine Snook left Yokosuka June:3 after a five-day visit that was | marked by mas massive daily demonstrations from the: time: at docked.
“Home Affairs Minister. ‘Tadanori | Nagayama reported. to the? cabinet. that some..52,000 students and unionists had mobilized: for” the demonstrations. These were. of a-smilitant character. Some of: the participants, armed with stones; -sought to trespass into the U.S. military ‘base. Japanese: ‘Security’ forces battled to keep them back.
Sixty-five ‘policemen were injured, six seriously. Forty-six. demonstrators were injured, six of them seriously. The police “aprested: ‘thirty-four demonstrators. .
The ‘demonstrations wére -sponsored ‘by. SOHYO, the General Council of Trade Unions, the Japan Socialist party and the Japan “Communist party as well as by many other: groups. Kozo Sasaki , chairman of the” Japan Socialist: party,” ‘Said. June B20
“ory is. ‘not merely : the. question of safety that matters. What . matters is the fact that this country is allowing U.S. warships to visit. its port in connection with: “he Vietnam war. "
“By permitting the “Snook and ‘perhaps later the nuclear aireraft carrier Enterprise to‘enter a. Japanese port, the government was in effect participating in the war in Vietnam, since both: vessels have been actively engaged in that conflict. —
"If we allow: the Enterprise, which is equipped with nuclear weapons,..to visit:a: Japanese port," continued Sasaki, "that means. Japan:is actually under the: U:S. nuclear umbrella and therefore. virtually armed. with nuclear. weapons. " ot, i
“In oppobition to: this. policy, the Japan “Socialist party - ‘will launch massive campaigns: to enlist popular support for its slate in the next general election as well as docal elections next spring, Sasaki: said. ante : by vo
Sasaki's arguments appeared to be confirmed by Foreign minister EtSusaburo Shiina who ‘said. that Japan -was opening its ports to the U.S. “in the interest: of::the peace and security of. the Far East." He cleared up what he meant by this by saying that in-view of. the Security Treaty, Japan’‘couid not be-'said:to be neutral in the Vietnam war.