Memorandum of Conversation with Secretary of State Dean Acheson, General Walter Bedell Smith, Howland Sargeant, and H. Freeman Matthews

5203 495 DERACAMENT OF STATE SECURITY 146 Memorandum of Conversation DATE: April 24, 1952 SUBJECT: 3:50 p.m Military Build-up by the Communists in Korea PARTICIPANTS: General Walter Bedell Smith corf The Secretary Mr. Sargeant Mr. Matthews COPIES TO: S/S P - Mr. Sargeant G - Mr. Matthews u. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 16-61120-1 : I took part only in the last few minutes of the conversation between the Secretary and General Smith. Mr. Matthews was there for the same period of time. General Smith repeated to us what he had apparently been telling the Secretary--namely, that the extent of the military build-up by the Communists in Korea was not appreciated by the American people, nor were the American people prepared for the potential launching of a major offensive and the renewal of large-scale hostilities. He summarized certain kinds of intelligence which indicated the possibility of the launching of an offensive, but stated that in his personal opinion, there would not be any immediate Communist offensive, even if the negotiations did break down. I summarized the steps that had been taken to secure a statement from General Ridgway's headquarters in the near future that would call attention again to the extent of the Communist military build-up. I stated that I had talked with Clayton Fritchey of the Department of Defense within the past hour and that Mr. Fritchey was in the process of preparing a draft message which, if agreed to by the interested parties, would be sent at once to General Ridgway. I outlined some of the possible methods of supporting statements emanating from General Ridgway's headquarters by appropriate people here in the United States. General Smith said that he had not been aware that this action was already under way and he expressed his pleasure that this was being done. DECLASSIFIED He thought the E: O. 11652, Sec. 3(E) and 5(D) er ATDA 5.14.76 Dept. of State letter, C.T.A ere. we NAIRS 1-23-79 ION PROSUCT NC 78.47