Memorandum, Suggested Action by the National Security Council for Consideration by the President in the Light of the Korean Situation

Extracted text

OCR Page 1 of 5
C-83 July 1 6,1950 MEMORANDUM Suggested Action by the NSC for Consideration of the President in the Light of the Korean Situation. The invasion of South Korea came as a surprise and shock, not only to the people of the United States and the world, but also to the people around this table, whose job it is to keep the President correctly advised. As we see it, there are further shocks which must be absorbed, the possible consequences of which it is our duty to present to the President. First is the now unmasked great and growing combined military strength of Soviet Russia, and such of its willing and ambitious satellites as China and North Korea; a strength so great that it will be impossible for the United States to settle this dispute in this little country of Korea for some months; and if additional "outbreaks" of communist satellite countries force us into further attrition of our own forces, the ramification of this incident might not be settled for many years. Second is the serious current inadequacy of our own military forces, to the point where, even in order to settle this Korean incident, and without considering the illions of trained Chinese and Russian regulars which might be used against us in the Far East, we are already being forced to seriously weaken the defenses of the United States. CEDLASSIFIED E.O. 11552, Sec. 3(E) and S(D) or a NSC 3.24.77 letter, NET 76.74 TOP : NARS Deta 5-12-77