795B.00/12–650
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Chief of Protocol (Simmons)
Subject: Call of the departing Korean Ambassador on the President
| Participants: | The President |
| The Korean Ambassador | |
| Mr. Sae Sun Kim, Counselor, Korean Embassy | |
| The Chief of Protocol |
His Excellency Dr. John Myun Chang, departing Korean Ambassador,1 recently named Prime Minister, called today by special request and on a basis of urgency. The Ambassador made a personal plea to the President to continue extending to Korea the military help which had already been furnished by the United Nations and which, he said, should be continued in spite of recent military reverses.
The Ambassador spoke of how grateful the Korean people were for what we had already done. He stated that Korea, both for its own sake, and for the sake of the world, must be saved from Communist domination. He stated that the Koreans would prefer death to such domination. He insisted that there are now approximately one million Koreans, faithful to the core, who are ready and willing to take up arms in defense of their country. All they needed, he said, was for the United States to furnish them the necessary equipment to carry out this purpose. He also made a plea for the use, in defense of Korea, of the Chinese Nationalist forces now in Formosa.
The President expressed great appreciation for the valor and patriotism of the forces of the Korean Republic, as shown in their operations since the invasion of last June. He said that the United States will see this thing through, and will do everything possible to save Korea. He gave, however, an indication of the difficulties which are involved in reaching any decision which might permit the use of Chinese Nationalist troops in the present conflict.
In closing, the President advised the Ambassador that, should he wish to carry this matter further, he might wish to undertake direct consultations with Generals Marshall and Bradley and Mr. Lovett.
[Page 1426]The Ambassador left with the President a memorandum touching on the points which he had mentioned in his conversation.2