740.00119 Control (Korea)/12–546: Telegram
The Political Adviser in Korea (Langdon) to the Secretary of State
urgent
[Received December 5—4:23 p.m.]
Tfurc 67 [to Tokyo]. The following brings up to date developments since our Tfurc 62, October 8.85 The long interval since that telegram has been due to the precarious political situation which has made it impossible to report earlier any conclusive developments.
[Page 774]The joint Korean-American conference to look into the causes of the October disturbances (see my last two political summaries) met toward the end of October in an earnest harmonious atmosphere and after sessions every work day last week submitted to General Hodge its findings and recommendations with respect to the first set of alleged causes: Primarily enmity against the police and pro-Japanese Korean collaborators military govt.
[Here follows summary of committee hearings on their complaints and recommendation that police chiefs be removed.]
Concurrently with its participation in the conference, the Coalition Committee continued its informal services to Gen. Hodge in connection with electing and recommending members to the legislature. On November 4 the Committee complained to Gen. Hodge of what it considered generally unfair conditions in the elections, particularly in Seoul and Kang-won-do Province, and asked for new elections in all south Korea or at least in those two districts. Although the elections everywhere, and particularly in the districts named, had been carried out as fairly and lawfully as conditions of Korean society allow, Gen. Hodge on November 25 declared the elections in the two districts to be void in recognition of a widespread feeling that there had been inadequate prepartion for the elections and in deference to the wishes of the Coalition Committee, which it has been agreed would recommend to him the appointive member. It was only after Gen. Hodge had made this announcement that the Coalition Committee began to work on a definitive list of such members, which it submitted on November 30. The Committee’s original price for this list seems to have been the heads of the two police chiefs as well as new elections, but we seem to have bought it for a reelection to six seats (out of 45) and a unanimous conference recommendation for one police head and a split recommendation for the other head. A strange anomaly of the Committee has been that, although theoretically representative equally of the right and the left, it has consistently fought the battle of the left only and not once has attempted to defend the right. Likewise, notwithstanding the presence of a Communist member, it on occasion soft-pedaled its reference to Pak Heun Yung and his subversive followers.
[Here follows report on the Committee’s list of candidates and maneuvering of various political factions in regard to the legislative assembly.]
In connection with the picture herein given of the current political situation, mention should be made of a private letter from Lyuh to General Hodge on November 8 in which Lyuh attributes the prevailing exploitation of natural resources, disrepair and stagnation in south Korea to the absence of permanent officials bearing full responsibility [Page 775] and suggested that the civil government be turned over to the Korean people. He then proposed Dr. Kimm be appointed head of such a government and offered to give such government his full support. This letter has set us thinking whether, if the legislature develops successfully, the transfer to Koreans under our supervision of the civil administration of Seoul [South?] Korea might not be our next step from all points of view.
General Hodge expects to call the opening session of the legislature on December 12, and when the session opens it will be an achievement to be proud of because of the opposition and obstruction to and inherent difficulties of the project. It is too early to guarantee that the project will not be a fiasco but the prospects of its success now seem to be reasonably good. The Department may within the next day or so send for reading at the opening session an appropriate congratulatory message.
- Not printed.↩