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{
    "localId": "183391981",
    "label": "Memorandum of Conversation with Secretary of State Dean Acheson, President Harry S. Truman, Secretary of Defense Louis Johnson, and State and Defense Department Officials",
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{
    "id": "183391981",
    "sourceUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/183391981",
    "contentType": "document",
    "title": "Memorandum of Conversation with Secretary of State Dean Acheson, President Harry S. Truman, Secretary of Defense Louis Johnson, and State and Defense Department Officials",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/183391981",
    "collections": [
        "Dean Acheson Papers",
        "Secretary of State Files"
    ],
    "subjects": [
        "Korean War, 1950-1953"
    ],
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    "productionDates": [
        {
            "day": 25,
            "logicalDate": "1950-06-25",
            "month": 6,
            "year": 1950
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    "seq": 4,
    "pageIndex": 0,
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    "ocrText": "5.\nTHUMAN\nTOP SECRET\nARCHIVES RECORDS 'NATIONAL AND\n:\nSERVICE*\n-4-\nGENERAL VANDENBERG replied that this might take some\ntime. He said it could be done if we used A-Bombs.\nMR. PACE expressed doubts about the advisability of\nputting ground forces into Korea. He stressed the need\nfor speed and for encouraging General MacArthur to take\naction.\nMR. MATTHEWS also stressed the need for prompt action\nand said that we would get popular approval.\nMR. FINLETTER said we should go as far as necessary in\nprotecting our evacuation. He expressed some doubt on the\nadditional items which had been suggested by the Secretary\nof State. He said our forces in the Far East were sufficient\nif the Russians do not come in. He advised that only the\nnecessary decisions be made that night. He thought that\nGeneral MacArthur should be authorized to go beyond\nmere\nevacuation. He stressed the analogy to the situation\nbetween the two world wars. He thought we should take\ncalculated risks hoping that our action will keep the\npeace.\nMR. JOHNSON agreed with Mr. Acheson's first\nrecommendation concerning instructions to General MacArthur\nbut thought the instructions should be detailed so as not\nto give him too much discretion. He thought there should\nnot be a real delegation of Presidential authority to\nGeneral MacArthur. He mentioned the three islands south\nof Okinawa in the Ryukyus which could be made ready in a\nfew days as air bases. He pointed to the fact that they\nare already under our jurisdiction and said that the\nFormosan situation could be handled from them. He agreed\nwith the views that had been expressed by Mr. Finletter.\nHe was opposed to committing ground tropps in Korea.\nMR. WEBB, MR. JESSUP, MR. RUSK and MR. HICKERSON\nmade brief comments in amplification of Mr. Acheson's\nstatements.\nTHE PRESIDENT confirmed his decision that the\nfollowing orders should be sent:\n1. General MacArthur was to send the\nsuggested supplies to the Koreans.\n2. General MacArthur was to send a\nsurvey group to Korea.\nDECLASSIFIED\nE. O. 11652, Sec. 3(E) and S(D) or (E)\n3. The\n12-29.76\nDepr. of State letter,\nJOP SECRET\nEx NLT- HC NARS Date 6-11-76"
}