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INVEDIATE RELEASE
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 2, 1952
THINK
STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT
**NATIONAL
ARCHIVES AND
RECORDS
SERVICE
In recent days, the position taken by the various departments of
this Government in 1947, 1948 and 1949 with respect to the withdrawal
of United States troops from Korea has been made the subject of partisan
political debate. Many untrue accusations are being made with reference
to the decision of this Government to withdraw our troops from Korea.
In order that the public may have access to the facts, I have determined
that a memorandum from the Secretary of Defense to the Secretary of
State, dated September 26, 1947, and its enclosure, which have hereto-
fore been classified as Top Secret, should be declassified. Copies of
these documents accordingly are attached to this statement.
The significance of this memorandum of September 26, 1947, and
its importance to the subsequent developments of our policy concerning
Korea have been made clear in my statement of October 27, 1952. Follow-
ing the military appraisal expressed in this memorandum, this Government
proposed to the United Nations in 1947 that elections be held in Korea
looking toward the establishment of a united Korea and the withdrawal of
all occupation forces. A resolution to this effect was adopted at the
General Assembly of the United Nations, November 14, 1947. This memorandum
of September 26, 1947, was relied upon in the formulation of United States
policy with respect to Korea in the National Security Council both in
1948 and in1949, when the entire situation was reviewed in the light of
then existing conditions, and the decision to complete the withdrawal of
United States troops was confirmed. At that time, as I pointed out in
my statement of October twenty-seventh, the advice of our military
establishment was that, in spite of the obvious risks, the withdrawal
of United States troops was justified.
I would not have released this document nor brought these facts
before the public if the Republican candidate for President, who was
Chief of Staff of the Army and a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
in 1947, had not in his campaign misrepresented the contents of this
memorandum and made intemperate and unjustified attacks upon the civilian
agencies participating in our decisions with respect to Korea. Begin-
ning in his speech of September twenty-second in Cincinnati, and on
various occasions thereafter, culminating in his speech in Detroit on
October twenty-fourth, the Republican candidate sought to create the
false impression that our civilian officials were solely responsible
for our decisions with respect to Korea and that they were guilty of
blundering, if not of something worse. As I pointed out in my remarks in
Cincinnati on October thirty-first, our decisions with respect to Korea,
like many other decisions in our struggle for peace, involved both
military and diplomatic factors and were reached through the honest
cooperation of both military and civilian officials. False and malicious
attacks upon the loyalty and judgment of either the military or civilian
officials who were involved in these crucial decisions are inexcusable
and a re extremely damaging to the proper conduct of the Government. As
President, I feel it my duty to protect the men who are engaged in this
crucial work from such attacks.
In releasing these documents, I wish it understood that there
is no intention to criticize the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff or
the work of the military establishment in these critical matters.
Indeed, I believe that releasing these documents will indicate the
justification for their views.
I hope that the release of these documents will set this controversy
at rest, and will in some measure protect those who have not been able to
protect themselves in this debate because of their official positions,
and because of the secrecy classification which must necessarily cover a
great deal of their work.
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"ocrText": "INVEDIATE RELEASE\nIMMEDIATE RELEASE\nIMMEDIATE RELEASE\nNovember 2, 1952\nTHINK\nSTATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT\n**NATIONAL\nARCHIVES AND\nRECORDS\nSERVICE\nIn recent days, the position taken by the various departments of\nthis Government in 1947, 1948 and 1949 with respect to the withdrawal\nof United States troops from Korea has been made the subject of partisan\npolitical debate. Many untrue accusations are being made with reference\nto the decision of this Government to withdraw our troops from Korea.\nIn order that the public may have access to the facts, I have determined\nthat a memorandum from the Secretary of Defense to the Secretary of\nState, dated September 26, 1947, and its enclosure, which have hereto-\nfore been classified as Top Secret, should be declassified. Copies of\nthese documents accordingly are attached to this statement.\nThe significance of this memorandum of September 26, 1947, and\nits importance to the subsequent developments of our policy concerning\nKorea have been made clear in my statement of October 27, 1952. Follow-\ning the military appraisal expressed in this memorandum, this Government\nproposed to the United Nations in 1947 that elections be held in Korea\nlooking toward the establishment of a united Korea and the withdrawal of\nall occupation forces. A resolution to this effect was adopted at the\nGeneral Assembly of the United Nations, November 14, 1947. This memorandum\nof September 26, 1947, was relied upon in the formulation of United States\npolicy with respect to Korea in the National Security Council both in\n1948 and in1949, when the entire situation was reviewed in the light of\nthen existing conditions, and the decision to complete the withdrawal of\nUnited States troops was confirmed. At that time, as I pointed out in\nmy statement of October twenty-seventh, the advice of our military\nestablishment was that, in spite of the obvious risks, the withdrawal\nof United States troops was justified.\nI would not have released this document nor brought these facts\nbefore the public if the Republican candidate for President, who was\nChief of Staff of the Army and a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff\nin 1947, had not in his campaign misrepresented the contents of this\nmemorandum and made intemperate and unjustified attacks upon the civilian\nagencies participating in our decisions with respect to Korea. Begin-\nning in his speech of September twenty-second in Cincinnati, and on\nvarious occasions thereafter, culminating in his speech in Detroit on\nOctober twenty-fourth, the Republican candidate sought to create the\nfalse impression that our civilian officials were solely responsible\nfor our decisions with respect to Korea and that they were guilty of\nblundering, if not of something worse. As I pointed out in my remarks in\nCincinnati on October thirty-first, our decisions with respect to Korea,\nlike many other decisions in our struggle for peace, involved both\nmilitary and diplomatic factors and were reached through the honest\ncooperation of both military and civilian officials. False and malicious\nattacks upon the loyalty and judgment of either the military or civilian\nofficials who were involved in these crucial decisions are inexcusable\nand a re extremely damaging to the proper conduct of the Government. As\nPresident, I feel it my duty to protect the men who are engaged in this\ncrucial work from such attacks.\nIn releasing these documents, I wish it understood that there\nis no intention to criticize the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff or\nthe work of the military establishment in these critical matters.\nIndeed, I believe that releasing these documents will indicate the\njustification for their views.\nI hope that the release of these documents will set this controversy\nat rest, and will in some measure protect those who have not been able to\nprotect themselves in this debate because of their official positions,\nand because of the secrecy classification which must necessarily cover a\ngreat deal of their work."
}