740.00119 Control (Korea)/10–1646
The Director of the Office of Far Eastern Affairs (Vincent) to the Assistant Secretary of State for Occupied Areas (Hilldring)
Dear General: Over the weekend I had time to read Bunco’s report on his conversations with Balasanov at Pyongyang.75 On page 3 I notice that Bunce, in replying to Balasanov’s suggestion that there be a simultaneous withdrawal of troops from Korea, said that he “agreed that this was a desirable objective that could be obtained only (my underlining) after a provisional government satisfactory to both powers had been established.” I bring this to your attention because in a memorandum of October 16 of your conversation with General Arnold you are reported to have said that “we would welcome it (troop withdrawal) but that we felt that it would be a sign of weakness on our part to take the initiative in such a move.” A copy of the memorandum is attached.76
I believe that you approve the conditional form in which Bunce agreed to withdrawal and that in talking to Arnold you simply didn’t spell it out. I say this because I am convinced that we would get into all kinds of trouble if we agreed to a simultaneous troop withdrawal prior to the establishment of some kind of unified administration for all of Korea.