Foreign Relations of the United States, 1946, The Far East, Volume VIII

740.00119 Control (Korea)/10–1646

Memorandum of Conversation, by the Acting Chief of the Division of Japanese Affairs (Borton)

[Washington,] October 16, 1946.

Participants:	General Hilldring
	Major General A. V. Arnold
	Mr. Borton—JA

In connection with General Arnold’s appointment with the President on October 16, he desired to get some indication from the Department of State as to the problems which we thought he might raise with the President. General Hilldring prefaced his remarks by a statement that he understood General Arnold had already consulted with numerous persons in both the War and State Departments and hence was probably familiar with our thinking on Korea and that his firsthand knowledge of Korean problems placed him in an admirable position to clarify the Korean situation in his talks with the President. General Hilldring pointed out, however, that he might wish to emphasize the following points:

(1) Latest reports from Korea indicate that there is a possibility that a satisfactory formula can be worked out with the Soviets which would allow for the reconvening of the Joint Commission in the near future. Naturally the State Department hoped that this would be possible as approaches to the Soviets on a governmental level on a specific problem have little effect unless there is some indication from the field that they are giving way on some particular point.

(2) If it appears obvious that local efforts to reconvene the Joint Commission fail, General Hilldring is prepared to recommend to the Secretary that he discuss outstanding problems on Korea with Mr. Molotov, including the question of the reconvening of the Joint Commission.

(3) The President’s attention might be brought to the recent report from Korea from Mr. Bunce, Economic Adviser to General Hodge, indicating that in his recent conversation with Mr. Balasanov, a Soviet member of the Joint Commission, the latter had proposed that both Soviet and American forces be withdrawn from Korea. In answer to a question from General Hodge as to the reaction of the State Department to such a proposal, General Hilldring stated that we would welcome it but that we felt it would be a sign of weakness on our part to take the initiative in such a move.

(4) Our program in Korea, if it is to be effected, will require a continued expenditure of a substantial amount of United States dollars, and that unless the funds are forthcoming for our program in the occupied areas we will not be able to carry them out.

In discussing the general question of creating more interest in Washington in Korea, General Hilldring emphasized the value of General Arnold’s visit and his willingness to discuss Korean problems with persons in the United States Government interested in Korea. He hoped that General Hodge would make arrangements for frequent visits of his key officers and thus keep Washington informed by personal contacts of the latest developments in the field.