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7 Apr 1951

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April 7, 1951

Memorandum for:	General Omar N. Bradley
From:	The President

Attached are a couple of messages which you left with me yesterday. I intended to hand them to you this morning when you were here but forgot to.

[Signed] H. S. T.

---

PA 134

COPY

     BULLETIN
          DRAFT (TOPS 104)
WASHINGTON-HOUSE REPUBLICAN LEADER MARTIN OF MASSACHUSETTS TOLD THE HOUSE TODAY GEN. MACARTHUR FAVORS USE OF CHINESE NATIONALIST TROOPS IN THE KOREAN FIGHTING.
          RZ303P -5

PA135

WASHINGTON ADD DRAFT (134)

DEBATING A BILL TO EXTEND THE DRAFT LAW AND CREATE THE MACHINERY FOR UMT, MARTIN SAID HE HAD REQUESTED MACARTHUR'S VIEWS ON THE USE OF CHINESE NATIONALISTS TROOPS NOW IN FORMOSA.

MACARTHUR, HE SAID, WROTE HIM A LETTER ON MARCH 20 ENDORSING MARTIN'S DEMAND THAT THE TROOPS OF CHIANG KAI SHEK BE USED AGAINST THE CHINESE REDS.

THE TEXT OF MACARTHUR'S LETTER, AS MADE PUBLIC BY MARTIN:

"DEAR CONGRESSMAN MARTIN:

"I AM MOST GRATEFUL FOR YOUR NOTE OF THE 8TH FORWARDING ME A COPY OF YOUR ADDRESS OF FEBRUARY 12TH. THE LATTER I HAVE READ WITH MUCH INTEREST, AND FIND THAT WITH THE PASSAGE OF YEARS YOU HAVE CERTAINLY LOST NONE OF YOUR OLD TIME PUNCH.

"MY VIEWS AND RECOMMENDATIONS WITH RESPECT TO THE SITUATION CREATED BY RED CHINA'S ENTRY INTO WAR AGAINST US IN KOREA HAVE BEEN SUBMITTED TO WASHINGTON IN MOST COMPLETE DETAIL. GENERALLY THESE VIEWS ARE WELL KNOWN AND CLEARLY UNDERSTOOD, AS THEY FOLLOW THE CONVENTIONAL PATTERN OF MEETING FORCE WITH MAXIMUM COUNTER-FORCE AS WE HAVE NEVER FAILED TO DO IN THE PAST. YOUR VIEW WITH RESPECT TO THE UTILIZATION OF THE CHINESE FORCES ON FORMOSA IS IN CONFLICT WITH NEITHER LOGIC NOR THIS TRADITION.

"IT SEEMS STRANGELY DIFFICULT FOR SOME TO REALIZE THAT HERE IN ASIA IS WHERE THE COMMUNIST CONSPIRATORS HAVE ELECTED TO MAKE THEIR PLAY FOR GLOBAL CONQUEST, AND THAT WE HAVE JOINED THE ISSUE THUS RAISED ON THE BATTLEFIELD; THAT HERE WE FIGHT EUROPE'S WAR WITH ARMS WHILE THE DIPLOMATS THERE STILL FIGHT IT WITH WORDS; THAT IF WE LOSE THE WAR TO COMMUNISM IN ASIA THE FALL OF EUROPE IS INEVITABLE, WIN IT AND EUROPE MOST PROBABLY WOULD AVOID WAR AND YET PRESERVE FREEDOM. AS YOU POINT OUT, WE MUST WIN. THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR VICTORY.

"WITH RENEWED THANKS AND EXPRESSIONS OF MOST CORDIAL REGARDS,

I AM,
     "FAITHFULLY YOURS,
          "DOUGLAS MACARTHUR."
               RZ312P 4-5

---

PA 134

COPY

WASHINGTON ADD DRAFT (135)

* "IT IS PERFECTLY CLEAR FROM GEN. MACARTHUR'S WORDS," MARTIN SAID, "THAT HE STRONGLY FAVORS THE EMPLOYMENT OF THE ANTI-COMMUNIST FORCES ON FORMOSA. I WISH TO ASK THAT IF, AS THE GENERAL SAYS, 'THE UTILIZATION OF THE CHINESE FORCES ON FORMOSA IS IN CONFLICT WITH NEITHER LOGIC NOR TRADITION,' WHY IN GOD'S NAME ARE WE NOT USING THEM?" THE UNITED STATES IS ON THE BRINK OF WORLD WAR III, "THE ADMINISTRATION APPARENTLY HAS INFORMATION WHICH IT HAS NOT IMPARTED TO THE OTHER MEMBERS OF CONGRESS AND TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE."

HE BLAMED THE STATE DEPARTMENT FOR "BLOCKING THE USE OF" 800,000 ANTI-COMMUNIST CHINESE TROOPS ON FORMOSA," AND DEMANDED THAT "THE ADMINISTRATION AND THE PENTAGON COME CLEAN WITH THE CONGRESS AND WITH THE AMERICAN PEOPLE."

"CERTAINLY IF THERE IS DANGER THE ENEMY KNOWS IT -- WHY HOLD IT BACK FROM THE AMERICAN PEOPLE?" HE ASKED.

"I DO NOT HAVE TO TELL THE MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE THAT DOWN THROUGH THE YEARS WE HAVE HEARD HIGH OFFICIALS OF THIS GOVERNMENT UTTER TIME AND AGAIN THE DIREST WARNINGS OF IMMINENT BLOODSHED WHEN A PARTICULAR PIECE OF LEGISLATION THEY WANTED WAS BEFORE THE CONGRESS.

"ON THE OTHER HAND, AND THIS WAS PARTICULARLY TRUE A YEAR AGO IMMEDIATELY BEFORE THE OUTBREAK OF HOSTILITIES IN KOREA, HIGH ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS, INCLUDING THE OCCUPANT OF THE WHITE HOUSE, HAVE TOLD US THAT WE WERE CLOSER TO PEACE THAN AT ANY OTHER TIME IN RECENT YEARS.

"NOW WHAT PUZZLES US MORE IS THAT ON YESTERDAY WHILE MR. RAYBURN WAS WARNING THE HOUSE THAT A THIRD WORLD WAR WAS IMMINENT, ANOTHER ADMINISTRATION SPOKESMAN AROSE IN THE SENATE. THE SPOKESMAN WAS SENATOR TOM CONNALLY OF TEXAS, CHAIRMAN OF THE SENATE FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE, WHO USUALLY IS PRESUMED TO BE SPEAKING WITH THE AUTHORITY OF THE ADMINISTRATION BEHIND HIM."

MARTIN QUOTED SENATOR CONNALLY AS HAVING SAID "THERE WILL BE NO WORLD WAR THIS YEAR. THE RUSSIANS WILL NOT DEFY THE FREE NATIONS OF THE WORLD."

"I THINK," THE REPUBLICAN LEADER COMMENTED, "THAT WHEN THE SENATE IS BEING TOLD ONE THING AND THE HOUSE ANOTHER BY ADMINISTRATION LEADERS ON THE VERY SAME DAY, AN EXPLANATION IS DUE."

RZ323P 4-5

* MARTIN SAID THAT IF, AS SPEAKER RAYBURN TOLD THE HOUSE YESTERDAY, ww2dbase

Source(s):
Harry S. Truman Library and Museum

Added By:
C. Peter Chen

Photographs

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