Reischauer Tells of Transition In American, Japanese Roles

Japanese-American relations are in "a period of transition," Edwin O. Reischauer, University Professor, told a Mather House audience of 50 last night.

Reischauer, who was U.S. ambassador to Japan from 1961-1966, said that the immediate future will be "a very crucial time, a very difficult time" for the two nations and that he believes increased cooperation will provide the best course for the future.

Reischauer said two factors are contributing to the changing positions of the world's number-one and number-three industrial nations.

First, he said the enormous rate of growth experienced by the Japanese economy since World War II is slowing down. "The had to do everything to be sure they could get back on their feet, and they overachieved," he said. "They put nothing into social services."

Second, the United States is pulling back from the role it assumed at the end of the Second World War, Reischauer said. "America took on what proved to be too large a role." Though the U.S. did a fairly good job at establishing free trade, "in the end she overextended herself," he added.

Erosion

These two factors have combined to bring about an erosion in the Japanese feeling of "subordination" to the United States that has persisted since World War II, Reischauer said. However, he noted that Japan has become uncertain about America's position. "The Japanese have doubts about the American ability to treat them as equals," he said.

Reischauer said the U.S. has committed a "series of blunders" that has enhanced this uncertainty. America did not make clear how the "Nixon doctrine" would affect Japan, and did not inform them of its sudden plans for rapprochement with China, he said. Furthermore, he added, America did not take into consideration the impact of recent trade decisions on Japan.

"This is a time quite analogous to the 1920s," Reischauer said. "There was a failure of financial cooperation then, and a drift toward protectionism ensued that led to adverse domestic politics."

The Japanese rely heavily upon cooperation between nations, Reischauer said, because of their great dependence on trade. To assure that relations between the U.S. and Japan do not deteriorate further, Reischauer recommended that a"communicator" be appointed to fill the currently vacant Japanese ambassadorship.