Evening star., 1951-06-12

tnOSe arms ana equipment avail
able to the Communists; at least,
I would have taken them over and
made them available to the Chi
neSe Central government, the gov
ernment which my Government
recognized at the time, and was
supporting as far as / knew.
Partial transcript
From Yesterday
i FOLLOWING is a partial tran
script of yesterdays testimony:
!. chairman Russell opened the
32d day of the hearings with 8
resume Of Gen. Wedemeyer's mill.
Itary background and then asked
the general If he had a state
ment before the questioning
Started.)
Gen. Wedemeyer- AS ]
Undoubtedly will be questioned by
members of the committee con-
corning a number of points that
are controversial. I wish at the
Outset to submit a few personal
statements. Any testimony that
I may give to this committee will
be based entirely upon personal
views and have no relation what
soever to the official views of the
Department of Defense.
There have been some conjec-
lures concerning my relief from
duty in Washington in 1949 ano
my subsequent assignment to the
9th Army. May I state clearly that
I requested that assignment at the
time Gen Mark Clark was re-
Ilieved from command of the 9Th
Army.
The past few weeks I have fol-
lowed very carefully the exam
Iination of witnesses that have ap-
peared before your committee
There are a few subjects which
have been developed in the testi
mony of those prior witnesses tt
which I should like, Mr.. Chair.
man, to address myself for the
consideration of the members o1
the committee.
The first point was introduced
by Secretary of Defense Marshall
The Secretary was describing tx
the members of the committee
those events that led up to my
mission to China and Korea ir
I1947. The record shows that OF
8 May 1851 Secretary Marshall
testified, and I quote:
/ Il thought 1 would just seno
him out to look over the GROUND
for me and come back and tel
me what he thought; but his idea
and I think it was right, was-he
needed as much prestige as pos.
Isible in what he was doing. ano
therefore he needed Presidential
directive: and my recollection is
he drew up most Of the directive
himself"
Differs With Marshall.
With reluctance, gentlemen. be.
cause my recollection of these
events is quite different from thai
of Secretary Marshall. I submit
the following:
I would never express concern
about position involving mn
prestige or my rank. I did no
: therefore suggest that I required ,
Presidential directive.
After two years close association
with the Chinese, and limitet
contacts with Koreans, 1 felt con
fident that I enjoyed their respec
and that I would receive thei
friendly cooperation. Secretar.
Marshall requested that I draf
my directive. I did so and sub
mitteG it to him for approval.
A day or so later it was returned
to me without any changes ant
lover tn, signature of Presiden
Truman.
I Actually I think that a membe,
of Secretary Marshall's staff, {
Col. Carter, suggested the Presi
dental directive and also am
bassadorial rank for me in tn,
effort to be helpful.
The second point that has beel
developed in the course of the in
vestigation here pertains to tn
testimony of Secretary of Stat
AcheSon as recorded on June
1851. The secretary associated m,
name with certain policies and &C
tions pertaining to. the island Q
J Formosa.
May I state categorically tina
: at all times, at all times I fel
: that the Nationalist Government
> could resist successfully the Com
, munist attacks against Formoss
2 In discussing the State Depart
/ ment'S informal memorandum o,
Formosa dated December %, 1915
} Secretary Acheson conveys the er
!, roneous implication that not onl
: agreed with the State Depart
= ment's pessimistic views concern
ling the future of Formosa, bu
that I even suggested the prob
e able fall of that area to the Com
d muniSts.
: Doubted State Department Actor
1 In August, 1949, it was my def
elnite understanding that the Stat
: Department was on record to tn
d leffect that Formosa's fall wa
:. probable.
S Although the Joint Chiefs {
Staff recommended action to avel
g glsuch a catastrophe, I was not SUI
l, lat the time that the State De
apartment would adopt those ret
al aIommendaeons. This feeling we
= based upon the existing polio
= ard Formosa which as reca
as to attempt to prevent t..