Evening star., 1950-07-19
Truman Message on Program to Meet Aggression


Ioffers of assistance that have beer
and will continue to be made
win be co-ordinated by the Unitec
Nations and by the unified com.
lmand, in order to support the
effort in Korea to maximum ad.
vantage.
i Soviet Claims Disproved.
All the members of the Unitee
Nations who have indorsed tht
action of the Security Counci
realize the significance of the stel
that has been taken. This unitec
and resolute action to put dowr
lawless aggression is a. milestone
toward the establishment of a rult
of law among nations.
Only a few countries have failet
to support the common action ts
restore the peace. The most i'm.
portant of these is the Sovie1
Union.
1 Since the Soviet representative
had refused to participate in the
meetings of the Security Council
which took action regarding Korea
the United States brought the
matter directly to the attention
of the Soviet government in Mos
COW. On June 27 we requested the
Soviet government, in view of its
known close relations with the
North Korean regime. to use its
influence to have the invaders
withdrawn at once.
The Soviet government, in its
reply on June 20 and in subse-
quent statements, has taken the
position that the attack launched
by the North Korean forces was
provoked by the Republic of Korea
and that the actions of the United
Nations Security Council were
illegal.
These Soviet claims are fatty
disproved by the facts.
The attitude of the Soviet
government toward the aggression
against the Republic of Korea is
in direct contradiction to its
often expressed intention to work
with other nations to achieve
peace in the world.
Difficult Delaying Action.
For our part, we shall continue
to support the United Nations
action to restore peace in the
Korean area.
AS the situation has developed,
I have authorized number of
measures to be taken. Within
the first week of the fighting.
Gen. Macarthur reported. after a
visit to the front, that the forces
from North Korea were continuing
to drive south, and further sup
port to the Republic of Korea
was needed. Accordingly, Gen.
Macarthur was authorized to use
United States Army troops in
Korea. and to use United States
aircraft of the Air Force and the
Navy to conduct missions against
specific military targets in Korea
north of the 38th parallel, where
necessary to carry out the United
Nations resolution. Gen. Mac
Arthur was also directed to block
ade the Korean coast.
The attacking forces from the
north have continued to move
forward, although their advance
has been slowed down. The troops
Of the Republic of Korea. though
initially overwhelmed by the tanks
and artillery of the surprise at
tack by the invaders. have been
reorganized and are fighting
bravely.
United States forces, as they
have arrived in the area, have
fought with great yalor. The
| Army troops have been conduct
ing very difficult delaying opera
ton with skill and determina-
ton, outnumbered many times
over by attacking troops, spear
headed by tanks. Despite the bad
weather of the rainy season, our
troops have been valiantly sup
ported by the air and naval forces
of both the United States and
other members of the United Ma
tions.
Basic Moral Principle.
In this connection, I think it
is important that the nature of
our military action in Korea be
understood. 1t should be made
perfectly clear that the action was
undertaken as a matter of basic
moral principle. The United
States was going to the aid of a
nation established and supported
by the United Nations and un-
justifiably attacked by an aggres-
sor force. Consequently, we were
not deferred by the relative i'm
mediate superiority of the attack
ing forces, by the fact that our
base of supplies was 5000 miles
away. or by the further fact that
we would have to supply our forces
through port facilities that are
far from satisfactory.
We are moving as rapidly as
possible to bring to bear on the
fighting front larger forces and
heavier equipment, and to in
crease our naval and air superior
ity. But it will take time, men
and material to slow down the
forces of aggression, bring those
forces to halt, and throw them
back.
Nevertheless, our assistance to
the Republic of Korea has pre-
vented the invaders from crush
ing that nation in a few days-as
they had evidently expected to do.
We are determined to support the
United Nations in it's effort to re-
store peace and security to Korea,
and it's effort to assure the people
of Korea an opportunity to choose
their own form of government
free from coercion, as expressed
in the General Assembly resolu-
tions of November IA, 1947, and
10 1nIO