711.11 EI/2–954
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Robertson)1
Subject:
- Letter from President Rhee to President Eisenhower2
Participants:
- Philip Han, Counselor, Korean Embassy
- Walter S. Robertson, Assistant Secretary, FE
- Robert J. G. McClurkin, Acting Director, NA
Mr. Han came in at his request. He delivered to Mr. Robertson two sealed envelopes, one addressed to President Eisenhower and the other to Mr. Robertson. The envelope addressed to Mr. Robertson contained a letter to him from President Rhee3 and a copy of the letter from President Rhee to President Eisenhower.
After reading both letters carefully Mr. Robertson said that he was distressed that he should be asked to deliver such a letter to President Eisenhower. The letter not only contained statements which were untrue, but was offensive in tone, and he was sure the President would be shocked to receive such a communication.
Mr. Robertson suggested that consideration be given to its withdrawal. Mr. Han made no comment on the suggestion.4
- This memorandum was drafted by McClurkin.↩
- Supra.↩
- Not found in Department of State files.↩
-
According to a summary memorandum of a telephone conversation between Smith and Eisenhower, 11:55 a.m., Feb. 10, Smith informed the President that he was refusing to accept Rhee’s letter (a practice followed, Smith explained, when such offensive communications were received from Heads of State). Eisenhower asked why such a letter had been written. Smith could only surmise that sleepless nights, overwork, and Rhee’s age conspired to produce this hysterical, insulting, and vituperative communication. (Eisenhower Library, Eisenhower papers, Whitman file)
The Department of State sent a photostatic copy of this letter to the President, who read it and made it a part of his unofficial records. (Memorandum for the record, Feb. 10, 1954; Eisenhower Library, Eisenhower papers, Whitman file)
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