895.00/10–2947: Telegram
The Political Adviser in Korea (Jacobs) to the Secretary of State
priority
451. Cite Zpol 1322. In addition to subversive activities of leftists the command is now faced with what might be termed subversive activities of rightists under Dr. Rhee. After having gotten most of the leftist agitators out of the transportation system we find that the rightists, apparently under orders from Rhee, are staging “go slow” tactics. Last night it was necessary for our military authorities to threaten force to compel a switch engine crew to move cars in order that a train taking our liaison officer back to Pyongyang could proceed. Also, yesterday, a train with recently arrived dependents was stoned while being delayed as result of aforementioned tactics. As yet, we do not know whether stoning was done by rightists or leftists.
On October 27, an American officer in conversation with Rhee was told by Rhee that “during the coming 2 months he is going to cause General Hodge a great deal of trouble”. This officer said that he thought Rhee was not mentally well-balanced with which opinion I agree. Dr. Rhee gave this officer to understand that he, Rhee, controlled the police force; that Cho Pough [Pyung] Ok, Chief of the National Police, is afraid of Rhee; that Chang Taik Song, Chief of Seoul Police, is Rhee’s errand boy; that Rhee controls the Northwest Youth Organization; and that Kim Koo takes orders from Rhee. (Our command does not believe that Rhee dominates the police as he claims.) Rhee also indicated that when Kim Koo dined with General Rowt some nights ago, he, Rhee, gave him permission to do so. At a dinner which this same officer attended, Mrs. Rhee, who is as important a person in the Rhee outfit as Rhee himself, said: “Many people speak of Dr. Rhee as the future President of Korea. He is now the President of South Korea.”
There is also evidence from several sources that Richards, the Hearst correspondent now here, acting under instructions from his paper, is procuring material for a personal attack on General Hodge. Richards himself has indicated that the policy of the Hearst papers is to place the extreme right in power and that he had been sent to Korea to work with Syngman Rhee.
Unless I am very much wrong, I think we are headed for troublesome waters here shortly. I have reason to doubt whether Rhee and his crowd will accept any United Nations proposal, with or without the possibility of a united Korea as he is still pressing for elections now because he does not want an election with United Nations observers [Page 849] since with such observation he might not win. What he and his gang want, as I have stated before, is a South Korea government headed and controlled by him and supported and protected by the United States. In other words, Rhee wants full authority with the United States carrying all of the responsibility. In this plan, he is being egged on by certain Americans in the United States, known to the Department, who are seeking personal interest as alleged even by the Soviets.