이승만의 치적

OFFICE OF THE ADVISER OFFICE OF THE MINISTRY OF PUBLIC INFORMATION AND MINISTRY FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS GOVERNMENT BUILDING SEOUL, REPUBLIC OF KOREA [illegible] Acheson Secretary of State Department of State Washington, D.C. no reply required KUAMASI AEQUA April 19, 1949. DEPARTMENT OF STATE Dear Secretary of State: General Letter My observation since the day of arrival at Seoul enables me to inform my friends in America and in England that President Syngman Rhee and his govern- ment have done wonders in the past seven months. The display of this Republic's Defense Forces during the President Rhee's Eighty Fourth Birthday Celebration was an unforgettable and inspiring sight not only for myself and the President but also for every one who saw the parade of the most after regiment composed of healthy and vigorous youths serving in the Republic's Army, Navy and a nucleus of Airforce. These youth's only handicap is the lack of equipment. In addition to these Defense Forces, some 450,000 college students from the Seoul City and every provincial corp will meet at the Seoul Stadium on the 22nd of April, 1949, and celebrate the formation of Students National Guard. The only disappointing factor here and in the regular Armed Forces of the Republic is the lack of proper equipment. We ardently hope that this disappoint- ment factor be brought to the attention of American leaders and to President Truman particularly. The obstacles in the way of reconstruction, we have the problems such as terrible inflation which has sky-rocketed prices of articles a thousand fold. The bill, which used to cost ten Sen in the days of Japanese Occupation now costs 13,000 Sen or 130 Korean-dollars, is a case in point. Inflation is the root-cause of all other evils, and President Rhee is hard to control it by inaugurating price-ceilings and currency reform, production and reconstruction. The serious problem is the relief of some 100,000 refugees on Chai-ju [illegible] 000 in South Chulla Province who are made homeless and destitute by destructive rebels. The ECA help reaches some of these destitute refugees, but it is too inadequate. We hope that American philanthropists will help many of these unfortunate and hunger-striken people as possible. As to the problem of winning 3,000,000 non-christians to Christ, I am now working with the Korean Presbyterian and Methodist leaders, on the Protestant and with Bishop Ro of the Catholic Church in Korea with a view of mapping a campaign for the Mass Christianization Movement in Korea. [illegible] Pong Koo Yoon, Adviser. c/o Ministry of Foreign Affairs, [illegible] Building, Seoul, Korea.