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OCR Page 1 of 13/
2/13/54, Reel 1,
ek 1,
MR. ACHESON:
This discussion this afternoon will be on Korea. My notes begin with this
sentence: "Never has fate been secreted in so unlikely a receptacle as
be
Korea, appeared to -me in 1943 in Cairo, or in 1945 at the Japanese surrender."
That, I think, is an understatement; I don't believe that anybody believed
at that time that so much of the fate of the rest of the world was going to
arise out of this place. At Cairo, almost in an aside, it was stated that
"in due course Korea shalldbe free and independent. These were l'ine words;
real
I think they were spoken sincerely but somewhat lightly, without any/concep-
tion of the long history of conflict which resided in Korea or what was likely
to come out of that promise.
There is an interesting note of General Timberlake's, who says that at Potsdam
the question of Korea was brought up by the Russians, who asked General Marshall
if the United States -- if they could rely on the United States for assistance
in the reduction of Korea. General Marshall said that they could not rely
on United States assistance; that the Russians would have to take that on
themselves, because the attack on Japan would take our total effort of ground
forces, air and navy. I wasn't there --- General Timberlake testified about
hearings
TRUMAN
this at one of the on the Hill.
MR. FEISH:
Would you read that again, Dean?
Keans ARCHIVES "NATIONAL RECORDS ADMIN &
MR. ACHESON:
That at Potsdam the Russians asked General Marshall if they could count on
conversity
United States assistance in the reduction of Japanese forces in Korea;
and General Marshall replied that they could not, that they would have to
assume the entire burden in Korea because the assault on Japan would take
our whole military effort.
MR. FEIS:
That is
tecontribute
any significance to our particular statement. I will tell you why, among
other reasons. At Potsdam, actually, the American and Soviet staff people
can right through
worked out an air-navy operational line which placed most of Korea in the
American zone of military operation. So that, in itself, is enough to
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