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TRUMAK
ARCHIVES 'NATIONAL AND
(Synopsis G, page 7)
RECORDS
SERVICE"
COLFORDER
reiterated the charge that the US and Great Britain were plotting
"direct aggression" against China, and called upon the Chinese
and North Koreans to "fight until the aggressors are driven out
of Korea. "
Reactions to and debate over MacArthur's statement of March 24th
continued for several days until superseded by the events sur-
rounding his replacement as UN commander on April llth.
DGA Explains
During the MacArthur hearings DGA was asked to give "in some
detail from your viewpoint precisely what happened" with respect
to MacArthur's statement of March 24th and the subsequent collapse
of the truce ideas. DGA's answer (p. 1774-5) follows:
"We were working--We had been working with the Defense Department
on a proposal which we both were considering that, as the head
of the state, of the Government, which had been asked by the UN
to be. the command, the UN command, the President might make a
statement laying down what he proposed as an ending of the
aggression and the stopping of fighting in Korea.
"That matter had been discussed by me with the President suf-
ficiently to get his authority to go ahead with it, although no
final paper had been laid before him.
"The matter had reached the point where a draft of a proposed
statement was made, and had been circulated to the governments who
had troops with us in Korea. The replies of most of those govern-
ments had come in, although not all of them had come in on the
date in question. Some of the governments approved the statement
without any suggested changes; others suggested some editing
changes in it and, as I say, I think two--perhaps more--had not
replied on that date.
"General MacArthur was informed that a statement was being
planned, and his views were requested as to what freedom he required
as to military purposes to carry on his campaign without embarrass-
ment during that period. He said he had sufficient freedom, but
he just did not want any restrictions put on it.
"In that situation he made his statement. It seemed to all of us,
and to the governments concerned, that it was quite impossible for
the President to make a statement after that one had been made;
in other words, the field had been occupied, a statement had been
made, and if the President had made one, then everybody puts
together the statement of General MacArthur, which he made, and
compares it with the President's statement, and asks is this the
policy or, in the case of differences, it is not [sic], and who
is speaking for the US? So, it was decided that that matter had
to be held in abeyance."
Heavy Fighting
During the months April-June fighting in Korea was heavy and of
in Korea
a seesaw variety. In late April the Communists launched what
Ridgway called "the heaviest offensive effort yet made" and
pushed to within several miles of Seoul. But UN lines held
and heavy casualties were inflicted on the Communists. By late
May UN forces were on the offensive and pushing northwards across
the 38th parallel. During subsequent weeks fighting raged in and
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"ocrText": "TRUMAK\nARCHIVES 'NATIONAL AND\n(Synopsis G, page 7)\nRECORDS\nSERVICE\"\nCOLFORDER\nreiterated the charge that the US and Great Britain were plotting\n\"direct aggression\" against China, and called upon the Chinese\nand North Koreans to \"fight until the aggressors are driven out\nof Korea. \"\nReactions to and debate over MacArthur's statement of March 24th\ncontinued for several days until superseded by the events sur-\nrounding his replacement as UN commander on April llth.\nDGA Explains\nDuring the MacArthur hearings DGA was asked to give \"in some\ndetail from your viewpoint precisely what happened\" with respect\nto MacArthur's statement of March 24th and the subsequent collapse\nof the truce ideas. DGA's answer (p. 1774-5) follows:\n\"We were working--We had been working with the Defense Department\non a proposal which we both were considering that, as the head\nof the state, of the Government, which had been asked by the UN\nto be. the command, the UN command, the President might make a\nstatement laying down what he proposed as an ending of the\naggression and the stopping of fighting in Korea.\n\"That matter had been discussed by me with the President suf-\nficiently to get his authority to go ahead with it, although no\nfinal paper had been laid before him.\n\"The matter had reached the point where a draft of a proposed\nstatement was made, and had been circulated to the governments who\nhad troops with us in Korea. The replies of most of those govern-\nments had come in, although not all of them had come in on the\ndate in question. Some of the governments approved the statement\nwithout any suggested changes; others suggested some editing\nchanges in it and, as I say, I think two--perhaps more--had not\nreplied on that date.\n\"General MacArthur was informed that a statement was being\nplanned, and his views were requested as to what freedom he required\nas to military purposes to carry on his campaign without embarrass-\nment during that period. He said he had sufficient freedom, but\nhe just did not want any restrictions put on it.\n\"In that situation he made his statement. It seemed to all of us,\nand to the governments concerned, that it was quite impossible for\nthe President to make a statement after that one had been made;\nin other words, the field had been occupied, a statement had been\nmade, and if the President had made one, then everybody puts\ntogether the statement of General MacArthur, which he made, and\ncompares it with the President's statement, and asks is this the\npolicy or, in the case of differences, it is not [sic], and who\nis speaking for the US? So, it was decided that that matter had\nto be held in abeyance.\"\nHeavy Fighting\nDuring the months April-June fighting in Korea was heavy and of\nin Korea\na seesaw variety. In late April the Communists launched what\nRidgway called \"the heaviest offensive effort yet made\" and\npushed to within several miles of Seoul. But UN lines held\nand heavy casualties were inflicted on the Communists. By late\nMay UN forces were on the offensive and pushing northwards across\nthe 38th parallel. During subsequent weeks fighting raged in and"
}