Office of the Historian

795.00/5–252

Memorandum by the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Allison) to the Secretary of State

secret
[Washington,] May 2, 1952.

Subject:

  • Reply to President Rhee’s Letter of March 21, 1952 to the President.

I refer to your telephone conversation of May 21 with the White House Press Secretary, Mr. Joseph Short, concerning a reply to President Syngman Rhee’s letter of March 21, 1952. The following is the text of a suggested informal message which Ambassador Muccio at Pusan might give to President Rhee with regard to this letter:2

“You are requested to convey to Dr. Rhee the President’s greetings and say that the President deeply appreciated his letter of March 21, 1952, which he has read with great interest. You should then inform President Rhee that the contents of his letter have been made available to the various officials of the United States Government, concerned with Korean affairs, and that the points which he has raised therein will be most helpful in future policy considerations with respect to Korea.”3

  1. See the memorandum, p. 187.↩
  2. In telegram 800 to Pusan, May 6, 1952, Muccio received instructions to convey this informal message from Truman to Rhee. (795.00/5–652)↩
  3. At the bottom of the source text are the initials “H.S.T.” in Truman’s handwriting.↩