Telegram from Ambassador John Muccio to Secretary of State Dean Acheson

DECLASSIFIED E.O. 10501 INCOMING TELEGRAM Department of State Z TELEGRAPH BRANCH A 12 RESTRICTED Control: Action 8338 Rec'd: August 16, 1951 FE FROM: Pusan 9:07 a M Into TO: Secretary of State SS G UNA NO: 157, August 16, 6 p.m. SAM P IE Official ceremonies, mass rallies and parades held several PA cities Korea yesterday commemorate anniversary liberation OLI Korea from Jap rule and estab ROK Themes keynoted at CIA official functions confined to eulogy of events commemor- DCR ated, 1. e., liberation, independence, with considerable emphasis on Korea's participation world-wide struggle between free world and communism Organized "popular" demonstrations, on other hand concentrated on current cease-fire issues, especially unification and opposition armistice on 38th parallel. To mark day, govt reported to have parolled 215 prisoners, presumably political, on "pledges of loyalty" to ROK. In Pusan, ROK officials, diplomatic corps, reps UNCURK and UNKRA attended ceremony provisional capitol bldg where speeches and congratulatory remarks made by Pres Rhee, Assembly speaker Shinicky, UNCUTK chairman and my - self. Congratulatory msgs from Pres Truman, Gen Ridgway, and Chiang Kai-Shek also read. Pres Rhee's speech unusually calm, optimistic, and states- manlike, emphasized debt Korea owed US as inspiration and example for development Kor democracy. He stressed ir. reconcilabality democracy and communism and in lengthy comparison two ideologies underlined promise of former and disallusionment latter. Pres then discussed subj collective security, expressing his belief UN action Korea indicates free world has learned necessity of collective security. Turning to domestic matters, Pres stated time now come to form "nat] party based on farmers and laborers" and then urged action on two constitutional amendments he long been known to favor popular election pres and bilamtra) legis- lature. Notable he made no ref cease fire talks or unification. Shinicky's address, in nature of pep-talk, reiterated Rhee's assertion communism and democracy cannot co-exist same world, extolled strength democracy, damned Commies. Shinicky mentioned necessity get "final victory" from war but made no direct ref unification or cease-fire issues REPRODUCTION OF THIS MESSAGE IS PROHIBITED