Editorial Note

At 10:30 p. m., Assistant Secretary of State Dean Rusk and Secretary of the Army Frank Pace, both of whom had been notified by telephone, arrived at the Department of State. Within an hour, they were joined by Deputy Under Secretary of State H. Freeman Matthews, Assistant Secretary of State for United Nations Affairs John D. Hickerson, Ambassador at Large Philip Jessup, Director of the Office of Western European Affairs Theodore Achilles, Deputy Director of the Office of United Nations Political and Security Affairs David Wainhouse, and Miss Ruth Bacon of the Bureau of Far Eastern Affairs.

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Secretary of State Dean Acheson was notified of the content of telegram 925 from Seoul by telephone and agreed to its being sent to the White House for transmission to President Harry S. Truman in Independence, Missouri; it was also suggested to Mr. Acheson that the situation be referred to the United Nations Security Council. Accordingly, Mr. Acheson called the President at 11:20 p. m., informed him of Ambassador Muccio’s report and suggested that a meeting of the Security Council be called. Mr. Truman agreed. At 11:30 p. m., Mr. Hickerson telephoned United Nations Secretary General Trygve Lie, informed him of the outbreak of hostilities in Korea, and told him of the intention of the United States to bring the case before the Security Council.

Drafting then began in the Department of State by Mr. Wainhouse and Miss Bacon of three documents: (1) a formal communication from the United States Mission at the United Nations requesting a Security Council meeting, (2) a resolution to be introduced by the United States Acting Representative, Ernest Gross, and (3) a statement to be made by Mr. Gross. (Korean Conflict)