795.00/12–2850
Memorandum of Conversation, by Mr. Lucius D. Battle, Special Assistant to the Secretary of State
Mr. Lovett called Mr. Acheson today regarding the draft directive and memorandum sent over yesterday by General Marshall to the Department. He said that the paper was not originally supposed to have gone to the President for a decision but what they were trying to do was to bring up to date all instructions issued to General MacArthur so that they would be in one place and not strung out in a great many telegrams.
Mr. Lovett said that the covering memorandum was somewhat colored by the fact that General MacArthur had asked for four more divisions and for the authority to use the Chinese Nationalists. He said that he would not be able to hold if he did not have these additional forces. Mr. Lovett said that what they were trying to do was [Page 1616] to give the General some order of procedure and tell him that, in the opinion of the JCS, the time had come for withdrawal.
Mr. Lovett said that he did not like the memorandum because of the following points:
- (1)
- First, it served notice that the “jig” was up.
- (2)
- It was a mistake to tell General MacArthur to evacuate ROK divisions. He said that the ROK understood that it was fighting for its very life and that withdrawal of their troops would be widely misunderstood in South Korea.
- (3)
- He had some question as to how the prisoners should be handled. He said that turning them loose in Korea to re-form would be dangerous. It was uncertain as to whether they should be evacuated.