Office of the Historian

795.00/6–2850

The Secretary of State to the Secretary of Defense (Johnson)

top secret
Washington, June 28, 1950.

Dear Louis: We have been giving urgent attention to the situation which would arise if Soviet forces appeared and took an active part in the present operations in Korea. I am attaching for your consideration a very short policy statement, the purpose of which is to ensure that major decisions about the extension of the Korean issue into a major war be taken in Washington and not be merely the result of a series of events in Korea.

Since this is of great urgency, I hope that we can place it before the President for decision at the National Security Council meeting this afternoon.

Sincerely yours,

Dean Acheson
[Enclosure]

Draft Policy Statement Prepared by the Secretary of State

The decision now made to commit United States air and naval forces to provide cover and support for South Korean troops does not in itself constitute a decision to engage in a major war with the Soviet Union if Soviet forces intervene in Korea. The decision regarding Korea, however, was taken in the full realization of a risk of war with the Soviet Union. If substantial Soviet forces actively oppose our present operations in Korea, United States forces should defend themselves, should take no action on the spot to aggravate the situation, and should report the situation to Washington.1

  1. Responsibility for the resurvey of all policies affecting the perimeter of the Soviet Union was assigned to the NSC staff and resulted in the NSC 73 series, “The Position and Actions of the United States With Respect to Possible Further Soviet Moves in the Light of the Korean Situation”, of July 1; documentation is scheduled for publication in volume i.

    The Secretary of Defense was assigned responsibility for preparing for the NSC recommendations on U.S. courses of action in the event Soviet forces entered the Korean hostilities; the first report by the Secretary of Defense was sent to the NSC as NSC 76 under date of July 21, see footnote 2 to the memorandum by the JCS, July 10, p. 346. (NSC files: NSC Actions 308 b and c)

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