Undesirable Emergency

Even though sovereignty over Okinawa was restored to Japan two weeks ago, the Pacific island continues to be a sticking point in relations between the two countries. American military installations are to remain on the island for the indefinite future. The Japanese are now concerned that Okinawa could involve them, even indirectly, in a war.

A case in point occurred only days after Okinawa ceremonially changed hands. Three Guam-based B-52s were unable to refuel in mid-air on a bombing run to Viet Nam because of weather conditions in the western Pacific. They were diverted to Okinawa's Kadena A.F.B., where the big bombers were based until last year. Aware of Japanese sensitivity, the U.S. embassy in Tokyo alerted Foreign Minister Takeo Fukuda about the new flight plan of the B-52s; thus Fukuda was able to break the news of an "unavoidable emergency" that forced the planes to land on Okinawa for a four-hour refueling stop. Nevertheless, a government spokesman agreed with Socialist critics in the Diet last week that frequent emergencies of this kind would be "undesirable."

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