Office of the Historian

795.00/1–1251

Memorandum of Telephone Conversation, by Mildred Asbjornson of the Office of the Secretary of State

top secret
[Washington,] January 12, 1951.

Mr. Lovett1 telephoned the Secretary this morning and said that General Vandenberg2 had been talking with certain people in the State Department regarding the destructibility of certain dams (in the Korean area). Mr. Lovett said General Vandenberg was leaving on a short trip3 and that he wished to take General Curtis Le May of the Strategic Command4 with him. However, General Le May did not want to do this without first checking with Mr. Acheson to see if the Secretary thought it might have any bad effects, although Le May had in mind it might also have good effects.

The Secretary said he was calling a meeting of State Department people at the very moment, he would discuss the matter and would call right back. Mr. Lovett asked if the Secretary would call General Vandenberg direct.

  1. Robert A. Lovett, Deputy Secretary of Defense.↩
  2. Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg, Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force.↩
  3. See footnote 11, p. 70.↩
  4. Lt. Gen. Curtis E. LeMay was Commanding General of the U.S. Strategic Air Command.↩