Tuesday, 1 May

Today in Congress, President Truman raised the US military budget for the next year. The budget will be $60,679,414,690 (including atomic bomb and the aid to friendly nations), and American troops will number 3,500,000 service men and women. In case of the Soviet Union starting a war, the United States would have the strength to launch a counter-attack.

The US Congress publicized the suggestion of General Wedemeyer with regard to Korea. This is one part of the report he drafted when President Truman dispatched him to China and Korea to investigate in July 1947. He warned the United States in the report that the Soviet side must manipulate North Korea to invade South Korea.  Therefore he advocated i) for the withdrawal of American armies, the United States should get various guarantees from the Soviet side for the freedom and independence of Korea ii) helping South Korea to build armies and teams of coastal guards, iii) building reconnaissance teams to be stationed in Korea, the strength of which would be enough to guard against the threat from North Korea, and at the same time it could be used for the training of the South Korean army, iv) the United States would not withdraw its army before negotiations with the Soviet side had reached a conclusion.

The report was fairly good for its insight, but it is a pity that it was not adopted at the time by the American army, thus the Korea War happened. General Marshall and Secretary of State, Acheson, had to take the responsibility. But that the report is publicized during this time could draw Wedemeyer into the political struggle between Senator McCarthy and President Truman. Wedemeyer was now an active military man, perhaps he was afraid that this issue would be bad for him.