Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-07-14
Robertson Won Rhee Over
By Rare Arts of Diplomacy

N~ 7SS
It took q courtly gentleman
with all the charm and gracious
ness of the Old South to "con-
quer" President Syngman Rhee
of South Korea-if he has been
conquered.
Walter S. Robertson. q mem
Der Of the new team" at the
State Department whose name
was comparatively new to news
paper headlines outside of Rich
mond, Va, had what seemed to
be an almost impossible job
when he left for Korea June %.
His job was to win acqui-
essence to a truce with the Com
munistS from the stubborn old
man" of South Korea, 78-year-
old Syngman Rhee who was do
ing his utmost to block an armiS-
tice and force the United States
to 60 on fighting to unity Korea.
Victory for Diplomacy.
In more than two weeks of
difficult negotiations, Mr. Rob-
ertson is reported to have won
agreement from President Rhee
not to obstruct truce. News dis
patches from Tokyo and Seoul
said Mr.. Rhee made many con-
cessions and remarked to MIR.
Robertson:
"You have come here and you
have conquered me-"
It was a personal diplomatic
victory Of type rare in this ma
chine age. It was mostly job
of personal persuasion of man
against whom any semblance Of
power pressure could have had
little effect.
Mr.. Robertson'S colleagues In
the State Department give most
of the credit to his patience. tact
and understanding.
The "conquering" of Mr.. Rhee
undoubtedly brought into play
the same Robertson traits that
made him the key leader in many
Red Cross and Community Chest
fund raising campaigns in his
home town Of Richmond where
friends say that everyone was
happy to work for Walter"
Firm and Gracious.
Associates of Mr.. Robertson
are impressed with his gracious
ness. He is the type of man who
shakes hands with a colleague
everytime he meets him-even
three or four times a day.
With all his charm and grac-
iousness, Mr.. Robertson is said
to hold firmly to his convictions.
His job with Mr.. Rhee was to
make the South Korean President
understand that the United
States was standing firmly by
its policies of seeking peace in
Korea and charm Mr.. Rhee into
going along with those policies.
The negotiations were as much
Of a one-man show as such
things can get in these days.
Mr.. Robertson was armed with
sweeping authority as President
Eisenhower's personal represent
alive to conduct the talks with
Mr.. Rhee in his own way. His
instructions from the President
gave him unusually wide latitude.
Nevertheless, throughout the ne
gotiations, Mr.. Robertson was in
daily Geographic consultations
with Washington and invited
suggestions from his colleagues
here.
Career people working with Mr..
Robertson have learned to like
and respect him since he came
into the State Department as
Assistant Secretary for Far East
ern Affairs last April 8.
Flyer in World War 1.
He was no stranger to the
problems of Asia. although most
Of his life has been spent as an
investment banker in Richmond.
BY his own account. he got
into foreign affairs in the first
place because he was too old to
fight in World War II. An avia-
tor in World War I, Mr.. Robert
son turned to diplomatic activity
in 1943 as his contribution to the
World War II effort.
First he was chief Of the United
States Lend-LeaSe mission to
Australia. Then, in 1915. he was
made minister and counselor for
economic affairs at the American
Embassy in Chungking. He
headed the embassy there from
September, 1945, to July. 1916, as
charge d'affaires.
For a period in early 1916, Mr..
Robertson served on Gen. George