740.00119 Control (Korea)/10–247: Telegram
The Political Adviser in Korea (Jacobs) to the Secretary of State
priority
399. Zpol 1207. 1. Department will note that Rhee’s message quoted in Seoul PolAd No. 397, October 130 is another unwarranted attack on General Hodge and through him United States policy and plans with respect to Korea. The conference called by Rhee for October 2 will not as stated by him be representative of “all parties and organizations” although it will be fully representative of rightist groups supporting Rhee.
2. This agitation by Rhee to bring about a situation calculated to compel US to permit him to appear before UN officially or otherwise is characteristic of his tactics. In view of this “thorn in our flesh”, we agree more than ever with the Department’s view, as expressed in Deptel 220, September 25, that there should be no Korean representation at UN for the forthcoming discussion of the Korean problem. We feel therefore that some restraining influence might be brought to bear upon Rhee if the Department would explain to his henchmen in Washington the reasons set forth in numbered paragraph 1 and first two sentences of numbered paragraph 2 of Deptel 220, September 25, with reference to an additional reason that continued agitation and Rhee’s noncooperation may cause Korea to lose the opportunity to have Korea’s case considered favorably in UN by focussing attention upon Korean intransigeance due to divided Korean political leadership in South Korea which has already made our task in South Korea well nigh impossible and which plays in [to] Soviet hands.
3. We shall follow same line here but without much hope of making any impression upon Rhee and his wife (who is equally as important [Page 823] a factor as Rhee himself). He never contacts any ranking State or War officers here and to reach him we must either deal with go-betweens or practically summon him to appear.
- Not printed.↩