740.00119 Control (Korea)/11–547: Telegram
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Douglas) to the Secretary of State
5876. In conversation with Embassy officer yesterday, MacDermot, head Japanese Department, FonOff, and Graves, Counselor UK Embassy Washington, expressed view there good possibility next important Soviet move re Korea will involve unilateral withdrawal of Soviet forces from Korea. They feel Soviets reason that once Soviet troops withdrawn US will find it difficult on moral and practical grounds to retain its forces in Korea, and that if US follows Soviets in withdrawing forces, well-knit political and military machine in Soviet zone will be in splendid position to move in and take over effective control all Korea in behalf its Soviet masters.
Sent Department, repeated Moscow 311; Department pass Tokyo, Seoul.59
- Repeated to Tokyo and Seoul at 2 p.m., November 5.↩