Lot File 53D–250
Memorandum of a Meeting in the Office of the Under Secretary of State (Webb)1
UM M–212
The Secretary stated that the Department could be proud of its personnel and the speed with which they worked following news of the Korean attack. He particularly noted the excellent cooperation achieved with Defense and the Congress.
Mr. Armstrong gave a round-up of the latest intelligence available as a result of Telecon with Tokyo at 7 this morning.2 It is apparently true that Seoul is lost, but it is not sure whether the air field is in Communist hands or not. U.S. intelligence estimates that the North Koreans have some 100 medium tanks of Soviet make operating primarily in the valley leading south to Seoul. They also have a number of old light amphibious tanks. Reports indicate that the morale of [Page 213] South Korean troops is good and so far as we know none has surrendered yet. There is no guerrilla activity behind the South Korean lines. Three amphibious landings have been reported on the East coast, two of which are being contained and the third is unreported. We have no intelligence of any logistic planning by the North Korean forces. SCAP is distributing by air over both North and South Korea pamphlet containing the President’s announcement and the UN resolution. The reaction in the Japanese press has been so favorable that SCAP is also dropping 250,000 copies of Japanese newspapers into Korea.
The confusion in the reports of the situation are due to the poor communications and to the lack of a central unit in Korea to evaluate intelligence reports. It was also pointed out the optimistic reports came largely from the Korean Minister in Tokyo. SCAP is sending a forward echelon unit into Korea, but this has not yet been able to improve the situation. U.S. planes are operating from Japanese fields since they could make only limited use of airstrips in South Korea. The whereabouts of the Seventh Fleet was not reported.
Mr. Hickerson reported on the passage of the second UN resolution with India and Egypt not participating. He indicated that the representatives of both countries had made favorable speeches and that a final vote had been delayed as long as possible in the hope that they would receive instructions from their Governments. It was decided, however, that a vote should be taken yesterday in any event rather than waiting in the hope of Indian and Egyptian approval of our resolution.
The Secretary asked what the reactions of the various Ambassadors had been when they were informed of our decision. He was told that they were generally favorable; that Madame Pandit of India was, to our surprise, very receptive and cooperative; that the Indonesian Ambassador was also pleased and the Danes were under instructions to express their great pleasure. The Latin American countries appreciated being informed in advance and about half of them have already expressed their approval of our action.3 Mr. Armstrong stated that a report was being compiled on world-wide reaction, which seemed to be generally favorable. Mr. McFall stated that the reception in Congress had been good with the exception of Marcantonio on the left and Senators Watkins and Kem on the right.4
- The meeting took place at 9:30 a. m. It was one of a number of regularly held meetings ordinarily attended by Under Secretary of State Webb and other high officials of the Department of State such as Assistant Secretaries and Special Assistants; on this occasion, Mr. Acheson was present.↩
- Not printed.↩
- At a special meeting on June 28, the Council of the Organization of American States resolved unanimously: “1. To declare its firm adherence to the decisions of the competent organs of the United Nations. 2. To solemnly reaffirm on this occasion the pledges of continental solidarity which unite the American States.” (Annals of the Organization of American States, 1950 (Washington, Pan American Union, n.d,), p. 222).↩
- Reference is to Congressman Vito Marcantonio, American Labor Party, from New York and Republican Senators Arthur V. Watkins of Utah and James P. Kem of Missouri.↩