Statement Delivered by Secretary of State Dean Acheson at a Cabinet Meeting on the Korean Crisis

DI CLASSIFIED TOP SECRET 557 E.F. 11652, Sec. 3(E) and S(D) - 3-31-77 D.p. of State letter, A and PROJECT NLT 76.11 Bg NLT- He . NARS Date f.4.20 July 14, 1950 At the Cabinet meeting this morning the Secretary made the following statement on the Korean crisis and related pos- sible developments: The Secretary was asked what the State Department's judg- ment was on the probable danger spots were with reference to possible further communist or Soviet moves. The Secretary said that he did not think that it was profitable for him to go over specific spots again, since General Bradley had re- viewed these military danger spots, and the next crisis might arise at any one of a dozen places. The main point was that - the State Department and the Pentagon were agreed on the following general points: 1. The Soviet Union has the military capability at the present time of taking, or inspiring through satellites, military action ranging from local aggression on one or moye points along the perifphery of the Soviet world to all- out general war. 2. While estimates of probabilities of Soviet action vary it is completely agreed that there is not sufficient evidence to justify a firm opinion that the Soviet Union will not take any one or all of the actions which lie within its military capabilities. 3. There is unanimous agreement, therefore, that the present world situation is one of extreme danger and tension which, either by Soviet desire or by the momentum of events arising from the Korean situation in which actual warfare is in progress, could present the United States with new outbreaks of aggression possibly up to and including general host&lities. That is the situation we face, and it is one of gravest danger. It is becoming apparent to the world that we do not have the capabilities to face the threat, and the feeling in Europe is changing from one of eleation that the United States has come into the Korean crisis to petrified fright. People are questioning whether NAT really means anything, since it means only what we are able to do. Our intentions are not doubted, but are capabilities are doubted. In Asia the fear is manifested inotwo places - Japan and India. In Japan the Socialist Partyhas adopted officially the principle that there must be a treaty with the Soviet Union as well as with the other belligerants; that Japan should be neutralized and that American troops should be withdrawn. This is evidence that they believe association with the U.S. is dangerous to them. TREARA is ARCHIVES SERVICE** "NATIONAL NECORDS AND FOR SECHE