Evening star., 1951-05-12

1.-THE first directive that had gone
Ito the Far East Command. as ]
understand it. was that our planes
land ships should not go north
Iof the Saith Parallel. Is that COR
Irect?
Secretary Marshall-What you
want to fird out Is
Senator Knowland-What
want to find out-we now have
restrictions against the Air Force
lgoing north of the Yalu River
land the reasons have been CIV
len.
Now. :. Was it not a fact that
In the opening phases Of the ag-
igression by the North Koreans
against the Republic of Korea
when Gen. Macarthur was given
his first directives relative to as
Isistance to the Republic Of Korea
that he was restricted from using
Ibis air power and naval power
north Of the 38th Parallel in the
same way that he Is now restrict
led, or was while he was still COM
|mander, from using 1t north Of
Yalu River?
Secretary MARSHALL have here
a message of the 29th Of June.
Will that cover the date question?
Senator Knowland-I think the
earlier message was the 26th of
June.
Secretary Marshall-I don't get
|anything on the 26th. What I
am trying to bring out here is
that there were restrictions at
that time to the use by Gen. Mac
Arthur of either air or naval
power north of the 38th Parallel,
and I am trying to establish
whether that is a fact or not.
Secretary Marshall-I am try
ing to find the message that has
that in it. There is a message of
the 29th here which is rather
specific. I cannot find the other
message.
Senator Knowland-Let me read
the paraphrase to you, and I am
reading out Of this Joint Chiefs
|memorandum-for the benefit of
Admiral Davis so he will know
where 1t Is coming from. And I
read:
In order to clear South Korea
|of North Korean military forces,
jail military targets south of the
38th Parallel were cleared for at
tack by the Air Forces. Similarly
Naval forces were authorized to
operate against forces engaged in
aggression against South Korea
without restriction in coastal wa
ters and sea approaches south of
the 38th Parallel"
That was on the .26th. Now
you say there was a message of
the 29th?
Secretary Marshall-Well. I find
here they have given me a brief
OF these first messages hut not
the detailed messages. However,
on the 29th there is more spe-
|cif1c message relating to that same
thing. But as to this, of course,
the Chiefs Of Staff can give you
Ia much more exact reply than I
can. Except that I might say that
this Is the period when we were
trying to clear our citizens and
other people out of there by
planes. The aggression started on
the 25th. which was our oath.
Original Directive.
Senator Knowland DO you
know whether or not the original
directive that they would not go
north OF the 38th Parallel was
done at the instigation and sug-
gestion of the Joint Chiefs or was
that suggestion that came out
of either the United Nations or
the State Department?
Secretary Marshall-I can't an
swer that, sir, but might say
those preliminary directives in the
first SO or 48 hours were very
hasty messages to Gen. Mac
Arthur, and the situation as to
the employment OF our troops de-
veloped very rapidly.
Senator Knowland- Now,
my recollection of Gen. MacAr-
thurs testimony was that in Jan
uary we were in q retrograde
movement. No one was quite
certain Of how far back we might
be pushed. We might be pushed
back to the Pusan beachhead
again, and that under those cir
cumstances, and with the gen.
eral conditions he was facing, as
between raining $4,000 of the Sc
curity force, or of the auxiliary
police in Japan. and as between
arming the, Koreans, that prob
ably, in his Judgment at least,
whether sound or unsound is not
for me to say-in his judgment,
at least, those arms which were
available could better be used in
Japan, under the circumstances
then existing.
Is that substantially correct? !
Secretary MARSHALL think that
Is approximately correct. =.
Senator Knowland- =. MY
recollection Of Gen. MacArthur's
testimony was that the reasons
that he had stated on this retro
grade movement, were tina he did
not feel it advisable to equip a
large number of reinforcements;
he stated that some of them had
fought very well, and that some,
because of lack of training and
leadership. have not given us as
good an account of themselves,
and he agreed. I think. with your
observation that one of the great
~ y H. =