Memorandum of Telephone Conversation with Secretary of State Dean Acheson and Congressman John Kee

DECLASSIFIED E. O. 11652. Sec. 3(E) and sD ma letter, 3.52 NU FOR REARE 323 He NARS fiy-) 160 conf June 26,1950 Memorandum of Telephone Conversation The Secretary telephoned Judge Kee after having talked with Senator Connally. The Secretary said that he had to go up this morning to testify before the Senate Appropriations Committee on MDAP. He had been instructed by the President that he should not talk about any Far Eastern matters during the hearing since the President wanted the matter kept as secure and quiet as possible while the matter is before the UN Security Council. The Secretary said that the United Nations was taking effective action and that we are backing them up. The Secretary agreed with the President that we should not appear to be urging a course of action on the UN. The Secretary outlined to Judge Kee the steps that had been taken since they first heard about the attack, which infor- mation came to him about 10 or 11 Saturday night. The Secretary said that Department officials had gotten in touch with the UN to ask that a Security Council meeting be called for 2 p.m. Sunday. The Security Council without objection had passed a very fine resolution calling for end of the fighting and withdrawal of the North Korean troops. The next step was to have the President come back last night and to meet with himself, the Secretary of Defense, the joint Chiefs of Staff and top advisers, during which meeting a program was worked out for backing up UN and giving effective help to the South Koreans. The Secretary said the situation in South Korea was being followed very closely and that NATIONAL AND a as of this morning things seemed to be in pretty good shape. RECORDS SERVICE Judge Kee asked whether he had been right in making the statement that it could be assumed that South Korea was in good condition to take care of itself so long as the North Koreans were not supported by outside forces. The Secretary said he thought that was right. He said that the resistance had stiffened lastlnight. Judge Kee asked if his understanding was correct that we are aiding by furnishing such additional things as ammunition. The Secretary confirmed that understanding. Judge Kee said that his feeling is that the matter had been handled expeditiously and that everything had been done that ought to be done. Judge TAD