795.00/6–2850
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs (Perkins)
Subject: Korea
| Participants: | Sir Oliver Franks, the British Ambassador |
| Mr. George W. Perkins, Assistant Secretary of State Mr. James C. H. Bonbright, Deputy Assistant Secretary [of State for European Affairs] |
The British Ambassador came to see me at 10:30 today at my request. After outlining to him briefly the latest information which we had regarding the military situation in Korea, I told him that there were two matters which I wished to take up with him. The first was to ask him to inquire of his Government whether the latter was in a position to contribute military assistance of some kind in the present situation. I pointed out that this was not only important from the point of view of stressing the fact that our military operations are in support of a United Nations decision, but would also have a useful psychological effect in this country by showing that the United States was not acting alone. I said that we naturally expected to have to bear the brunt of the burden in view of the position of our forces in the Far East. I also said that we would probably be approaching several other countries with the same request.
Sir Oliver agreed to take the matter up at once with London. He said that while he had no instructions on the subject, he thought that one of the first questions which would come to mind in the Foreign Office would be why President Truman had omitted any reference to Hong Kong in his public statement. This omission protruded a bit in view of the reference to the Philippines, Formosa and Indochina.
Secondly, I told Sir Oliver of our intention to apply economic sanctions to Northern Korea and asked if the British Government would likewise act in this direction. I indicated that, according to our information, an embargo would probably not have highly important effects, but we had found that it was worth doing particularly in view of the shipments to that area from Hong Kong.
At the end of our conversation I received word that our action on halting exports to Northern Korea had been held up temporarily in view of certain questions raised by the Secretary of Commerce.1 I so informed Sir Oliver.