August 10,1950
Dear Henry [Henry A. Wallace]:
I have received your letter of July 26, 1950 requesting information on an alleged attack by the Republic of Korea prior to the June 25 invasion by the North Korean Communist regime. Thank you for it and the enclosed communications from Mr. L. D. Harding and Mr. John T. McManus, and the photostat copy of "Background of the Civil War in Korea".
I am glad to have the opportunity to call your attention to several important facts in connection with the allegations made in the China Weekly Review article and in Mr. Harding's communication. As Ambassador Jessup recently pointed out, there have been times in history when serious and conscientious scholars have been able to disagree on the question of who started a conflict or who was guilty of an act of aggression. In the Korean situation there can be no doubt or sincere debate, for the record is abundantly clear. No serious, honest scholar can ever have any question about it. North Korean Communist forces attacked the Republic Korea without warning, with provocation and without justification.
It is especially significant that knowledge of the facts of this situation does not depend upon statements by the Korean Government nor upon statements by Americans on the spot. At the last meeting of the General Assembly, the United Nations Commission on Korea was specifically authorized to have teams of observers to keep watch along the thirty- eighth parallel. The UN Commission on Korea is composed of representatives of the following countries: Australia, China, India, El Salvador, Turkey, the Philippines and France. The Commission's team of observers had concluded an on-the-spot survey of the situation along the border on June 24, barely twenty-four hours before
The Honorable Henry A. Wallace, Farvue, South Salem, New York
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the Communist forces attacked. The following is the text of a cable dated June 29, 1950 from the Acting Chairman of the United Nations Commission on Korea to the President of the Security Council:
"Following report dated June 24 from United Nations field observers submitted to Commission on their return from field trip along 38th parallel commencing 9 June to report developments likely to involve military conflict is forwarded for information:
"General situation along parallel. Principal impression left with observers after their field tour is that South Korea army is organized entirely for defense and is in no condition to carry out attack on large scale against forces of North. Impression is based on following main observations:
l. South Korea Army in all sectors is disposed in depth. Parallel is guarded on southern side by small bodies of troops located in scattered outposts together with roving patrol. There is no concentration of troops and no massing for attack visible at any point.
2. At several points, North Korean forces are in effective possession of salients on south side parallel, occupation in at least one case being of fairly recent date. There is no evidence that South Korean forces have taken any steps for or making any preparation to eject North Korean forces from any of these salients.
3. Proportions of South Korean forces are actively engaged in rounding up guerilla bands that have infiltrated into mountainous area in the eastern sectors. It was ascertained that these bands are in possession of demolition equipment and are more heavily armed that on previous occasions.
4. So far as equipment of South Korean forces concerned, in absence of armour, air support and heavy artillery, any action with object of invasion would, by any military standards, be impossible.
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5. South Korea Army does not appear to be in possession of military or other supplies that would indicate preparation for large-scale attack. In particular, there is no sign of any dumping of supplies for ammunition, petrol, oil, lubricant, in forward areas. Roads generally are little used and apart from convoy four trucks taking company from Kangnung westward to join rounding up guerilla band, no concentration transport anywhere encountered.
6. In general attitude South Korean commanders is one of vigilant defense. Their instructions do not go beyond retirement in case of attack upon previously prepared positions.
7. There is no indication of any extensive reconnaissance being carried out northward by South Korea Army nor of any undue excitement or activity at divisional headquarters or regimental levels to suggest preparation for offensive activity. Observers were freely admitted to all sections various headquarters including operations room.
8. Observers made special point inquiring what information was coming in regarding situation north of parallel. In some sectors it had been reported that civilians had recently been removed from areas adjoining parallel to north to depths varying from 4 to 8 kilometers. Another report received during night Thursday 22 June at regimental headquarters Ongjin was to effect that there was increased military activity in vicinity Chuyia about 4 kilometers north parallel. No reports, however, have been received of any unusual activity on part of North Korean forces that would indicate any impending change in general situation along parallel.' "
The texts of this cable and others from the Commission on Korea to the Secretary General relative to the Korean situation both before and after the Communist invasion are contained in the Department's White Paper on Korea, a copy of which is enclosed, in case you have not yet had access to it. This cable is dated June 26 from the Commission on Korea to the Secretary General giving a summary report on background events preceding the attack (UN Document S/1505) may also be of special interest to you, and excerpts from its text may be found beginning on page 18 of the White Paper.
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The allegations made in two of the enclosures to your letter are good examples of the efforts being made by Communist propaganda to twist and distort the factual record in Korea in an attempt to hide this act of aggression.
I will not begin to go into other implications and misstatements of fact contained in the enclosures to your letter, but am forwarding to you two additional Departmental publications on what has happened in Korea since the end of the Japanese war. I hope that you will find them to be of value.
As you requested I am returning the documents enclosed with your letter.
With warm regards.
Sincerely yours,
Enclosures:
1. Departmental publication 3922 2. Departmental publication 3305 3. Departmental publication 2933. 4. File returned
PA;PL:JWRowe:rah:eg PL PA NA FE P S/S S:ECGrab: ark 8/9/50
OFFICE MEMORANDUM - United States Government
DATE: 8/2/50
To : S/S Miss Grab
From: PL: J.W. Rowe
Subject: Attached letter from Henry Wallace and draft reply.
In accordance with our telephone conversation, I have drafted the basis for a reply to Mr. Wallace and am forwarding it to you.
COPY
NATIONAL GUARDIAN 17 Murray Street New York 7, New York
Monday, July 24
Dear Mr. Wallace:
I thought you would be interested in this report on Korea published in the China Weekly Review on July 8, so I had it photostated since our copy was required for our files.
The Review is owned and edited by John B. Powell, son of the late China editor who was tortured by the Japanese and eventually died of the after- effects of this following his return to the U.S.A. after the war.
Cordially,
John T. McManus
COPY
Henry A. Wallace declared, from South Salem, N.Y. July 15 (AP), that
"It is insanity for the U.S. to fight for Syngman Rhee and his cruel government which was repudiated by the South Koreans themselves on May 30."
In the same breath, Wallace says he supports the Korean war because his country is now engaged in it, and "the United Nations sanctions that war."
In the opinion of this writer, there is no longer a "United Nations". The U.N. former represented the two forces now contending for world leadership - the revolutionary, and the counter-revolutionary, elements. The former were forced out, by the pressure brought by the United States to continue Nationalist China in the Security Council after the Chiang group had been forced out of China. (Sec'y Gen. Trygve Lie has stated his opinion that it was indefensible to take this position.)
Wallace this demonstrates his inferiority in moral courage to Abraham Lincoln, who opposed the United States after it had declared war on Mexico; and to Eugene V. Debs, who went to jail for maintaining his convictions. It is to be noted that Debs - who ran for President as an avowed radical - got practically the same number of votes that Wallace did as an advocate of reformed capitalism.
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"The real crime against humanity," says Dean Acheson, "is aggression… The weapons used are quite incidental to the crime." Not always true that aggression is crime. The French revolutionists who pulled down the Bastile - an event recently celebrated even in the United States - was an aggressive act.
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Furthermore, although open to conviction, this writer is not now of the opinion that the North Korean made an unprovoked assault on So. Korea. There are the following grounds for decided doubt:
(1) Although in a position to send whatever news it sees fit, the MacArthur censorship bureau has given us absolutely no details as to where the invasion took place, in what force, etc. If the facts were as alleged,
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this information obviously would have been broadcast immediately for propaganda purposes. The so-called United Nations has a one-sided commission in Korea, which sent in a report from Seoul without making an independent investigation. In the light of the recent attempt made to deceive the public in the "Privateer" - plane incident - as to the course laid out for the plane and the purpose of the flight - arbitrary statements by officials, without sustaining facts are to be viewed with suspicion.
(2) It is no reason for swallowing the invasion story just as put out to call attention to the fact that the North Koreans were better armed, and fought better. Chiang Kai-Shek's forces were amply armed; and, in spite of the persistent propaganda put out in the United States, the troops of New China were not given Japanese arms in Manchuria by the Russians. (See "The Situation in Asia," by Owen Lattimore, page 143.) Those who fought Chiang were by no means all Communists; and those who were conscripted to fight for him but surrendered as soon as they had a chance, did so because he was unworthy of support by the Chinese people.
(3)It had been suggested by Sen. Knowland and others, that China was about to attack the Chiang forces in Formosa about July 15th; troops were said to be massing on the mainland, and it was felt that Chiang could not make a successful resistance. This Korean struggle came just in the nick of time to save his neck. It was altogether too opportune. It was against the interest of China to have this diversion now, for some of it best troops are North Koreans who fought in Manchuria, and who probably will now have to be sent to Korea.
(4)According to the "National Guardian" (NY.Prog.) of June 28, U.S. army troops on the spot have confirmed the report that South Korean troops had captured a town six miles north of the line in the early hours of the fighting. Considering the weak opposition that has been put up by So. Korean fighters, even when backed by U.S. ground troops, we may be sure they never, by themselves, captured any town six miles north of the border, unless they advanced in an offensive at some point through the mountains without being observed.
The United States having instituted the atrocious So. Korean police state - which was fully exposed by Mark Gayn in his "Japan Diary" - trouble has been brewing ever since. The North Koreans were prepared for it: the South Koreans repeated the story of China. This does not answer the question: which was the invading force?
L.D. Harding 466 Mendocino Street Brisbane, California
(Repeat of four page copy of draft letter to Henry Wallace included here)
FARVUE - SOUTH SALEM - NEW YORK
July 26, 1950
Hon. Dean Acheson Secretary of State Washington, D.C.
Dear Dean,
Could you have the appropriate person in the Department inform me as to the truth or falsity of the enclosed concerning the heavy armed attack by the South Koreans on June 25 prior to the invasion by the North Koreans? You might return the enclosed to me with any statement your people deem advisable to send.
Sincerely yours,
H A Wallace