TOP SECRET Secretary Dulles then inquired whether it would not be wise to send some kind of commmnication to our people in Korea after the conclusion of this meeting. The President said that it would be very hard to get all the nuances expressed in a single statement, but suggested that the Secretaries of State and Defense try to formulate a statement and perhaps send qualified personnel to take the statement to Korea. Admiral Radford once again stressed the fact that one of the major purposes of modermnizing U. S. forces in Korea etbiiissity tisisttsiwas to safeguard the security of our forces there. Mr. Cutler then went on to say that the remaining revised paragraphs proposed by the NSC Planning Board--namely, paracraphe 10 and 19--were not very controversial. He read subparagraph 10-a, as follows: "10. With respect to ROK forces through FY 1958: “a. Negotiate with the Republic of Korea for a sub- stantial reduction in active ROK forces (by at least four active divisions at this time, with no increases in re- serve divisions); in return for converting the three re- meining conventional ROK fighter-bomber squadrons into jet squadrons and providing to ground forces currently programed improved transport and communications equipment, and taking into account the modernization of U. S. forces in Korea." The President said he approved of this version of subparagraph 10-a, and stated that we must now be in a position to inform President Rhee of precisely what we propose to do by way of modernizing U. 8. forces in Korea. . Secretary Wilson said that with respect to subparagraph 10-a, the Defense Department did not wish to agree that there could an m = ~ ee tion of four active ROK divisions. After all, said Secretary Wilson, it was much less expensive to support reserve divisions than active divisions. Admiral Radford pointed out that Secretary Wilson's view did not conform entirely to the views of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. When the Joint Chiefs had looked into the matter, they had found that the cost of maintaining reserve divisions was still very high. The President suggested that the language should not be made too restrictive, and that leeway should be given to our people who were negotiating with Rhee. Mr. Cutler then suggested that the word "minimm" should be substituted for the word "no” in the third line of subparagraph 10-a. REPRODUCED AT THE DWIGHT, D. BISENBOWER LIBRARY > 17 be no increase in reserve ROK divisions to compensate for the reduc~- ee eee