895.20 Mission/5–449
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Ambassador in Korea (Muccio)1
| Participants: | President Rhee |
| Prime Minister | |
| Minister of Defense | |
| Mr. Muccio | |
| General Roberts | |
| Mr. Drumright |
Mr. Muccio, General Roberts, and Mr. Drumright called at the President’s office by appointment this afternoon. The Prime Minister and the Minister of Defense participated in the discussion at the request of the President.
Mr. Muccio said that his purpose in calling was to hand the President a letter pertaining to the future size and disposition of the Korean Military Advisory Group (KMAG). Mr. Muccio then handed the President a signed letter on the subject of even date, a copy of which is attached.2
President Rhee then read the text of the letter aloud. Upon completion of the reading, Mr. Muccio asked General Roberts to explain what was being done to augment and strengthen KMAG. General Roberts said that he had been directed to bring the strength of KMAG up to a maximum of five hundred officers and enlisted men. At the present time, he said, KMAG has a strength of about 250 officers and enlisted men. He said that as finally constituted, KMAG would have a total strength of about 250 officers and an equal number of enlisted men. (At this point, President Rhee summoned his personal secretary, Miss Mary McIntyre, and instructed her to take down an account of the conversation.) General Roberts went on to say that new officers and men for KMAG are to be selected from the cream of the officers and men now in Korea. If necessary, he said, others would come from Japan. General Roberts said that the great majority of the officers selected would be either in the field grade or captains. Very few lieutenants would be selected for KMAG duty. Such lieutenants as are selected, he said, will be used as seconds in command. At the present time, screening teams are operating within the USAFIK organization in order to obtain the best qualified officers and men.
General Roberts then asserted that he contemplated assigning from 16 to 20 officers to each brigade of the Korean Army. He said that no officers of a grade lower than captain would be assigned down to battalion level. General Roberts went on to say that particular emphasis [Page 1001] is being placed on the strengthening of the technical services which he considers to be the weakest segment today of the Korean Army. He said a special effort is being made to recruit the best available officers for quartermaster, ordnance, signal, and engineering services, the objective being to put the Korean Army technical services on the best possible operating basis.
General Roberts then said he was recruiting 9 senior officers of the grades of lieutenant colonel or major for duty as police consultants. He said that these consultants would operate under Colonel John Baird, Provost Marshal of USAFIK, who will be remaining with KMAG. He said that one police consultant would be assigned to each of the 9 police districts throughout Korea. General Roberts went on to say that a fair number of officers have been requested for duty with the Korean Coast Guard. He added that their work would aid materially in improving the operations of the Coast Guard.
At this point, Mr. Muccio suggested that General Roberts acquaint the President with developments in the ordnance field, etc. General Roberts then said that when Secretary Royall was in Korea in February, the Korean Prime Minister had submitted to him a letter on the subject of armaments, munitions, and the like.3 General Roberts added that the matter was being studied and that technicians would be sent to Korea to assist in solving the problem. At this point the President asked whether the technicians-would be included among the 500 officers and men assigned to KMAG. In response, General Roberts said that they would not be a part of the KMAG complement, but would be civilians. At this juncture, Mr. Muccio broke in to state that a committee had been set up to study the problem of ordnance, including such items as requirements, factory sites, personnel, etc. In this connection, President Rhee commented that ordnance plants could not start functioning too soon to suit him.
General Roberts then spoke in a general way with regard to the training of the Korean Army. He stated that training of the Army had progressed considerably during the past three months. He said that during the past few months good use had been made of the regimental combat team in the carrying out of demonstrations. All elements of the Korean Army had been privileged to see these RCT demonstrations which ranged through squad, platoon, company, and battalion levels. These demonstrations, General Roberts summed up, had been carried out as far away as Cheju Island and were being concluded on May 5.
At this point, President Rhee stated that he wished the assignment of some officers to help in the training of “young people all over the country”. The President went on to say that the Korean authorities [Page 1002] were cleaning’ up Cheju and other places. He then said he feared as soon as this cleaning up operation was completed the guerrillas might spring up again. Unless the people cooperate, the President said, the Government alone cannot stamp out the Communist menace which lies underground. It is therefore necessary that the people themselves play a part in the defense of the nation and their own lives. In this regard, the President went on, the National Association’s whole purpose is to bring about the greatest possible security, peace, and order. The National Association movement, the President said, is a purely nationalistic movement. It is organized everywhere but it must be strengthened. Then there are also the youth groups which have now been united into one group. The youth of Korea must work together. Also there are the women’s organizations, such as in Cheju. The school girls and women must be organized too, the President said. The young people must be counted upon for service in the reserve Army. If all these groups are organized—like the militia—they will become disciplined, and can cooperate with the Army, police, magistrates, etc., and in this way check Communist subversion. The President then said that he talked to these groups when on his trip and had suggested to them that they organize. He had told them that he was trying to obtain experienced Americans to aid them. He then asked how much help Korea could expect in this field from the United States.
Mr. Muccio replied that with respect to the Army, the reserve Army and the ROTC of Korea, United States Army officers could be of assistance. But as far as nonmilitary activities were concerned, Mr. Muccio went on, Mr. John Lasher was being sent to Korea to offer his assistance.4 Lasher had good experience in the youth field and would be able, after looking the situation over for a month or two, to offer constructive advice. In this connection, Mr. Muccio expressed the view that an organization like the NYA, which he proceeded to describe, might be appropriate for Korea at this juncture.
The Minister of Defense broke in to inquire what advisers, if any, would be detailed to the Korean Air Force. Mr. Muccio indicated in reply that General Wedemeyer5 had indicated that the modern air force is a very complex instrument and offers many complicated problems. Mr. Muccio went on to suggest that in the event of international conflagration6 the U.S. Air Force could be over Korea in a matter of minutes. General Roberts then said that his Table of Organization provided for the detail of two officers and some enlisted men to the Korean Air Force.
[Page 1003]At this point the discussion turned to other subjects which will be reported separately.
- Transmitted as an enclosure to despatch 244, May 4, from Seoul, received in the Department on May 18.↩
- See telegram 299, April 28, to Seoul, p. 997.↩
- Not printed.↩
- Mr. Lasher was assigned as an attaché at Seoul, July 26, 1949.↩
- Lt. Gen. Albert C. Wedemeyer, Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Operations, Department of the Army.↩
- The words “international conflagration” were substituted by Ambassador Muccio for the word “trouble” in the text as drafted by Mr. Drumright.↩