Eisenhower Library, Eisenhower papers, Whitman file
Draft Memorandum by the President to the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense (Wilson), and the Mutual Security Administrator (Stassen) 1
Subject:
- Assistance to Korea
Under date of July 26th [27th] I wrote a memorandum on the above subject to the Secretary of State.2 He replied on July 29th3 to the effect [Page 1458] that all of the addressees named above have seen my memorandum and are making the necessary organizational arrangements for carrying forward the assistance work.
It strikes me that never before have the armed forces of the United States had a better opportunity to contribute more effectively than they now have in Korea toward helping win the cold war, just as they have done their share in the hot war in Korea. If we can develop the proper understanding of this opportunity, if we can produce the enthusiasm that leadership should be able to develop, we can not only assure the technical coordination among all agencies involved in the problem, but we can accomplish several other things.
- (a)
- We can show the entire world that America and her allies are engaged in helping humans, not merely in asserting and supporting any particular government system or policy.
- (b)
- We can cement the bonds of friendship between the Korean people and the American people.
- (c)
- We can relieve the boredom that always attacks an occupying army after the fighting is over, and give our men in that region such a challenge and constructive work to do that its morale will go up rather than down.
- (d)
- We can improve the health and living standards of the Korean people, and we can assure that that region will remain a real bulwark of freedom, rather than a helpless slave of Communistic dictatorship.
I believe that we should communicate at once with General Taylor (who, I think, should take immediate charge of the work in Korea) and ask his comments on a proposed directive to be issued to him for the initiation of this work. It could run something about as follows:
Dear General Taylor: With the cessation of actual fighting in Korea, it is of the utmost importance that economic rehabilitation of our Korean ally begin at once. Assistance from several sources for such a program is already guaranteed. The Mutual Security Administrator has certain sizeable funds that can and will be devoted to the purpose. In addition to this, the Congress of the United States is authorizing the use of some two hundred million dollars of military funds, savings realized through the cessation of hostilities, to help in the immediate work of rebuilding the Korean economy and in general rehabilitation. Beyond this, the privately sponsored and supported program known as the American-Korean Foundation is working extensively and effectively in numerous programs that will be of the utmost benefit to that nation. Finally, there is the occupying army itself—and of all these, it could, under certain circumstances, be the most effective and the most [Page 1459] helpful. Because of this, it is our present conclusion that you personally are best suited and qualified to act as the coordinator for all these programs.
Over and beyond those just mentioned, which are purely American in origin, is the United Nations Fund provided for the same purposes. Without expressing any opinion as to the methods for coordinating the American with the United Nations effort, it seems obvious that the American activities in this regard will be so dominating as to make it logical that the United Nations program will be largely supplementary to that of this country.
I am particularly enthused over the opportunity here presented to the Armed Forces of this country to do something almost unique in all history. It is the opportunity of an army in a foreign land to contribute directly and effectively to the repairing of the damages of war; to rebuild and revivify a nation, and in so doing, to give to itself the satisfaction of constructive and challenging work, dedicated to the preservation and enhancement, rather than to the destruction, of human values.
Every field of human endeavor would invite participation by understanding friends. The restoration of productive facilities of roads, railways, lines of communications, the rebuilding of schools, restoration of hospitals and health and sanitary organizations, the training of teachers, medical staffs and establishing suitable plans for recreation, as well as a countless array of other activities, would bring into play all of the talents present in the great Army, Navy and Air Force that would otherwise become at least partially idle.
I am well aware that you will retain responsibility for maintaining the tactical efficiency of your troops, including the development of certain additional units for the Republic of Korea.
You will be responsible for the safety of your own front and required to do a number of other things in pursuance of your military mission.
But beyond all this, the task so sketchily outlined in this message would provide a memorable opportunity not only to engineers, quartermasters, medical units, motor mechanics and signal units and the like, but to qualified men from all the line branches who could participate as overseers, advisers and workmen, and as teachers in everything ranging from medical school to the most elementary forms of learning.
I am certain that if America once learned that its armies in an enemy occupied country were devoting themselves earnestly and effectively to this kind of work, that the voluntary donations through the American-Korean Foundation would be greatly enhanced and obviously, whatever amount they attain they could be expended largely for the purchase of materials and supplies, and for any highly technical services obtainable only in this country. With the actual work borne by Koreans themselves and our friends of the occupying armies working as partners, an amazing transformation could come about, within the space of months, almost weeks. The effect of this upon the world would, in my opinion, be electrical. News concerning it would gradually penetrate even the vastnesses of the remote regions behind the Iron Curtain. The whole thing would be an inspiration to all of us who are dedicated to the task of defending and advancing freedom, a task to which the Army now under your command has dedicated its efforts and its sacrifices for more than three years.
[Page 1460]I should like at the earliest possible moment your comments upon this concept and upon the kind of document that should initiate the work if we attempt to undertake it in this spirit and on this scope. Such a document could take the form of a directive from me as Commander in Chief to you in the field, as the Commander of all this work. Alternately, it could be your directive to your own forces. We here are open to any suggestions along this line, but we do believe that we now have a chance to do something that could easily have influence on every future instance of either hot or cold war.