Eisenhower Library, Dulles papers, “Meetings with the President”
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Secretary of State
[Extract]
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2. The President read Syngman Rhee’s letter to me of July 2.1 He indicated he thought that President Rhee was being rather arrogant in [Page 1829] attaching conditions to acceptance of the President’s possible invitation. We discussed the possibility of getting the Van Fleet recommendations before making a definitive reply to Rhee’s request for additional Korean divisions. I said that I thought if he came he would want to come before Congress adjourned so as to be able to appear before a joint session. That made the timing difficult. The President said he doubted that Van Fleet’s recommendations on this subject would be very important. He was good as a field general but not as a planner. I said I would try to find out the Defense Department’s views with a view to drafting a reply to Rhee in the light thereof.
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