Memorandum, The MacArthur Dismissal

April 28, 1951 THE MACARTHUR DISMISSAL Following are notes of the President' recollection of events leading up to the recall of General MacArthur, as recited to George Elsey and me, on Saturday, April 28th (10:30 - 11:00 a.mo): The order recalling MacArthur was preciptated by the action of Rep. Joe Martin of Massachusetts on April 5th, in reading to the House of Repre- sentatives, a letter addressed to him by MacArthur on March 20th. (1) The next morning, April 6th, after the regular cabinet meeting at 11:00 a.m., the President called in General Marshall, Secretary of State Acheson, General Bradley and Averell Harriman and discussed with them the situation that had arisen as a result of MacArthur's letter to Martin. (It is the President's recollection that the matter was not brought up at the cabinet meeting). Each of the four, the President said, gave his views and his reasons for his position. General Marshall expressed the opinion that the situation should be weighed carefully before any action was taken. Acheson urged caution and said there was no hurry. General Bradley and Harriman said Mac- Arthur "should be fired immediately" - in the words of the President. The President told the four to meet and discuss every angle of the situation. The President said that what concerned him more even than the Mac- Arthur letter to Martin was the statement issued by MacArthur about March 24th (published in U.S. papers March 25) (2) which, in effect anticipated a Presi- dential announcement then in preparation, of which MacArthur had been advised in a message from the Joint Chiefs of Staff on March 20th (3). The President said he was particularly concerned about this, in the light