611.95B/11–954: Telegram
The Ambassador in Korea (Briggs) to the Department of State
540. Repeated information Tokyo 362. Tokyo pass CINCUNC and CAG. As result of Tokyo meeting yesterday among Generals Hull and Taylor, Tyler Wood and me, agreement was reached on important message despatched by Hull last night for State, FOA and Defense (CINCUNC C 70209).1 Present status US-ROK relations self-evidently unsatisfactory and as indicated in message we believe general plan to cope with Rhee’s possibly continued intransigence ought to be considered. Our message also mentions type of measures designed bring increasing pressure on Rhee Government at time when that Government may well be weakening.
We all recognize that possible successor to Rhee may be key to solution and simultaneously that Rhee has so completely dominated local political stage that no single or outstanding successor readily identifiable at this juncture.
It is recommended that Department approve plan outlined including continuing pressure on Rhee who is by no means insensitive to determined US action when taken. For example, hwan advances were resumed when Rhee saw we meant business in selling POL for local currency [Page 1915] and paying local employees in US currency. Had these steps been put into effect earlier our position today would be appreciably stronger.
Similarly with regard to minute of understanding, I believe we should reply soonest to Rhee’s request of October 29 plus Pyun’s letter October 28 to Secretary (Embtels 5092 and 5123 repeated Tokyo 343 and 345). Over four months of present fiscal year have already passed and it seems desirable to bring this issue to head as quickly as we can, and in event Rhee still refuses cooperate, to initiate action along line suggested in joint message C 70209 from Tokyo.
- Telegram C 70209 from Hull was identical to telegram C 70208, supra, according to a copy of C 70209 in Department of Defense files.↩
- Dated Oct. 29, p. 1907.↩
- In telegram 512 from Seoul, Oct. 30, Pyun made a personal appeal to Dulles for changes in the draft minute of understanding. Pyun asked for elimination of the qualifying phrase “by all peaceful means” in conjunction with U.S. support of Korean unification and for deletion of the phrase “in violation of the armistice” with respect to the U.S. obligation to come to the military aid of the ROK in the event of an unprovoked attack. (795B.00/10–3054)↩