319. Memorandum From the Deputy Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (Johnson) to the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy)0
SUBJECT
- Force Reduction in Korea
I refer to our conversation on force reduction in Korea and the task Ros Gilpatric and I were given in this regard.1 For your background information, the Howze recommendations,2 on which Ambassador Berger based the view in his 784 that the time was ripe to come to grips with planning for an ROK and U.S. force reduction in Korea, did not envisage any American unit withdrawal until at least the end of 1965. However, the Howze recommendations have not been accepted even by the Army, much less the JCS.3 Thus, we are faced, not with reacting to the [Page 672] plan that Ambassador Berger had in mind, but rather constructing a political-military plan to give effect to the purposes of the President.
I believe that we can do this in a matter of weeks based upon the previous work that was accomplished last summer. In order to do the thorough job required for a decision by the President on this important subject, including the economic factors and the ramifications throughout the Far Eastern area, I would hope that we could have until the middle of January. In any event, we are proceeding as urgently as possible, with the full cooperation of DOD, and I will keep you informed of our progress.
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, DEF 6 S KOR. Secret. Drafted by U. Alexis Johnson.↩
- Johnson wrote the following marginal note at this point: “Assigned by President to Secretaries Rusk & McNamara. No details known as of now. 12/18. UAJ.”↩
- According to telegram 784 from Seoul, December 6, General Hamilton H. Howze, CINCUNC, had submitted proposals that would permit a modest reduction in both Korean and U.S. forces in Korea based on a restructuring of U.S. forces in Korea. U.S. forces would also be unlocked from their forward positions on the DMZ. The reductions would be small and would probably be acceptable to the ROK. (Department of State, Central Files, DEF 6 S KOR)↩
- During a White House staff meeting on October 21 Kenneth Hansen of the Bureau of the Budget reported on a recent trip he made to the Far East, including Korea. Hansen expressed disappointment that Howze did not produce an “independent appraisal” as promised. McGeorge Bundy stated that one could not expect a commander in the field to come up with a fresh look at a problem that had existed for 10 years. Bundy suggested that reductions would be handled by the appropriation process anyway. (Memorandum for the record by Smith, October 21; National Defense University, Taylor Papers, Chairman’s Staff Group, October 63, T-205-69)↩
- Printed from a copy that indicates Johnson signed the original.↩