811.2222/11–1649
The Acting Secretary of State to the Secretary of Defense (Johnson)
Dear Mr. Secretary: With respect to your letter of October 21, 1949, it is the opinion of the Department of State that the termination of the Selective Service Act after June, 1950, might be regarded abroad as inconsistent with our policies under the North Atlantic Treaty and the Mutual Defense Assistance Act and as a weakening of our resolve to maintain the strength of the free world. Therefore, from the point of view of the possible adverse reaction abroad, the Department of State believes that it would be desirable if the Act were extended.1
Sincerely yours,
- This reply reflected the consensus of the geographic bureaus of the Department of State and United States missions abroad. On December 17, Secretary of Defense Johnson, citing the views of the Department of State, asked President Truman to seek a 3-year extension of the draft.↩