Eisenhower Library, Eisenhower papers, Whitman file, Dulles-Herter Series

Memorandum by the President to the Secretary of State

In the course of our communications with President Rhee, I think that we should suggest to him the following thought:

“One of the primary purposes of the Communists throughout the Korean war and throughout the world is to create dissension among the nations of the free world. Whenever any act of an individual nation flouts the desire and purposes of the vast majority, there is automatically created a situation that furthers the Communists’ interests and purposes. The safety and reuniting of Korea can never be assured [Page 1206] except through the entirety of the free nations. If our collective structure disintegrates, Korea is doomed; on the other hand, if it is strengthened and perpetuated, there is no slightest doubt that, in the long run, Korea will be a complete and unified nation.”

If you think well of this idea, it could be transmitted in many ways, verbally or otherwise, to our friend President Rhee.1

[Dwight D. Eisenhower]
  1. The editors have found no evidence that this idea was expressed to Rhee in the words specifically suggested here; in his conversation with Paik Tu Chin, Dulles did make this general point. For a report of that conversation, see memorandum of conversation by Young, June 18, infra.