Office of the Historian

501.BB Korea/8–2348

The Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Occupied Areas (Wisner) to the Under Secretary of the Army (Draper)

top secret
Washington, August 23, 1948.

Dear Mr. Draper: Following our conversations of Friday1 afternoon and Saturday morning on the reduction of U.S. forces in Korea, representatives of this Department have met with representatives of the Department of the Army in an effort to agree on wording of a cable to ComGenUSAFIK which will provide him instructions and represent the understanding existing between the Departments of the Army and State.

The enclosed draft cable2 has been approved by the Department of State. I believe it provides appropriate instructions under the circumstances and correctly sets out the understanding of the two Departments on this subject. I am asking Mr. Claxton to discuss the cable with General Maddocks.3 If you can concur in it, it may be dispatched at once. If you wish to make any substantial changes please let me know.4

Sincerely yours,

Frank G. Wisner
  1. August 20.↩
  2. Not attached to file copy.↩
  3. Maj. Gen. Ray T. Maddocks served as Deputy Director, Plans and Operations, General Staff, U.S. Army, April 1–November 14, 1948. He was Acting Director from June 24r–July 18, 1948, and served as Director from November 15, 1948, to May 15, 1949.↩
  4. Under Secretary Draper replied on August 28 that the revised cable had been sent to Seoul (501.BB Korea/8–2848).↩