Memorandum of Conversation with Secretary of State Dean Acheson, James Webb, H. Freeman Matthews, John D. Hickerson, Paul Nitze, Dean Rusk, George Kennan, Philip Jessup, and William J. Sheppard

zon pronet NLT 816 DEPARTMENT OF STATE Memorandum of Conversation 336 DATE: 3 Polde Sunday December 3, 1950 SUBJECT: Report of the Secretary's nesting at the Thite House with the President, General Narshall and General Bradley PARTICIPANTS: The Secrotary Mr. Rusk Webb Mr. Kennan it. Watthews Mr. Jessup Mr. Hickerson Mr. Sheppard Nitse COPIES TO: The 1-1493 The meating was ealled so that the Secretary could report the discussion which he had had with the President, General Varshall and General Bradley at the hhite House late this morning. The Secretary said that he had rained in the neeting with the President the question whether our position in the world required us to continue hostilities with the Chinese Communists. He said he had advanced the viewpoint that if that were the case, it would mean that we would have to examine the policies governing our other actions to conforma to that situation. He had further stated that if our world position did not require us to continue hostilities with the Chinese Comminists, then it would be necessary to try to stop the fighting in Korea before the disin- tegration moved too far in order to sava our forces. The Secretary said that he vent on to say that so for as the evacuation was concerned, it seemed to hin to break dow into three parto- the Tast Coast, Inchon and Pusan. with respect to the Tast Coast the Secretery said he indicated that, ao far as he was concerned, this operation is solely concerned with saving troops. He told the President that thore was nothing to be gained politically by making a stand there. The problen was simply to do what you could to get them out. The Secretary told the President that he didn't wish this to appoar as advice because it was a strictly military matter. Howover, if the military did need sone kind of political action, such as a cease fire, in order to carry out the evacuation on the last Coast, then the military should let us know. DECLASSIFIED E. O. 11652, Sec. 3(E) and 5(D) or (1) Dept. of Scate letter, 10:2/:17 PR OTECT NLT17-34 By NARS.