TrumanOrdersU.S.Air,NavyUnitsToFightInAidOfKoreaU.N.

CouncilSupportsHim
OurFliersInActionFleetGuardsFormosa

ByANTHONYLEVIERO

SpecialtoTheNewYorkTimes

June27,1950

Washington,June27PresidentTrumanannouncedtodaythathehadorderedUnitedStatesair
andnavalforcestofightwithSouthKorea'sArmy.Hesaidthiscountrytooktheaction,asa
memberoftheUnitedNations,toenforcetheceasefireorderissuedbytheSecurityCouncil
Sundaynight.

ThenactingindependentlyoftheUnitedNations,inamovetoassurethiscountry'ssecurity,the
ChiefExecutiveorderedViceAdmiralArthurD.Strubletoformaprotectivecordonaround
FormosatopreventitsinvasionbyCommunistChineseforces.

Alongwiththesefatefuldecisions,Mr.Trumanalsoorderedanincreaseofourforcesbasedinthe
PhilippineRepublic,aswellasmorespeedymilitaryassistancetothatcountryandtotheFrench
andVietnamforcesthatarefightingCommunistarmiesinIndoChina.

Afterhehadstartedthesemovesthatmightmeanadecidedturntowardpeaceorageneralwar,
thePresidentsentAmbassadorAlanG.KirktotheRussianForeignOfficeinMoscowtorequest
theSovietUniontouseitsgoodofficestoendthehostilities.Thiswasanobviousprofferofan
opportunityforRussiatoendthecrisisbeforeherownforcesmightgetinvolved.

DoorOpenedforRussia

InthecapitalthiswasregardedasbeingatonceapossiblefacesavingdeviceforRussiaina
showdowncrisisandafeelertodetermineherintentions.

Thedecisionsamountedtoashowdowninthe"coldwar"withRussia,inwhichthiscountryhasat
lastdecidedtobeginshootinginalimitedarea.Yetallthedecisionsfollowedacarefullyworked
outformulaofactionwithintheframeworkoftheUnitedNations,aswellasunilateralmovesthat
avoidedanydirectprovocationoftheSovietUnion.

Mr.TrumanbasedthedecisiontofightfortheSouthKoreansentirelyontheSecurityCouncil
resolutionwhichcalleduponallmembersoftheUnitedNationstohelpcarryitout.Andatthe
PentagonitwasexplainedthatourairandnavalforceswouldfightonlybelowtheThirtyeighth
ParallellinethatdividesSouthKoreafromtheRussiansponsoredNorthKorea.

"TheSecurityCouncilcalleduponallmembersoftheUnitedNationstorendereveryassistanceto
theUnitedNationsintheexecutionofthisresolution,"Mr.Trumanstated."InthesecircumstancesI
haveorderedUnitedStatesairandseaforcestogivetheKoreanGovernmenttroopscoverand
support."

RussiaIsNotMentioned

Mr.TrumancarefullyavoidedmentioningRussiainhisstatement.Hepivotedtoday'sgreatshiftin
UnitedStatesforeignpolicyonaconclusionthatthe"coldwar"hadpassedfromanuneasy
passivestageto"armedinvasionandwar."Heblamed"communism."

"TheattackuponKoreamakesitplainbeyondalldoubtthatcommunismhaspassedbeyondthe
useofsubversiontoconquerindependentnationsandwillnowusearmedinvasionandwar,"he
said."IthasdefiedtheordersoftheSecurityCounciloftheUnitedNationsissuedtopreserve
internationalpeaceandsecurity.InthesecircumstancestheoccupationofFormosaby
CommunistforceswouldbeadirectthreattothesecurityofthePacificareaandtoUnitedStates
forcesperformingtheirlawfulandnecessaryfunctionsinthatarea.

PresidentTrumantooktheunusualactionofvirtuallyorderingtheChineseNationalGovernmentto
ceaseitsairandseaoperationsagainsttheChinesemainland.HeterselystatedthattheSeventh
Fleetwillseethatthisisdone,addingthatthefuturestatusofFormosawouldhavetoawaitpeace
inthePacificorapeacesettlementwithJapan,orUnitedNationsaction.

InmanymajorspeechesMr.TrumanhasnothesitatedtonameRussiaasthecountrythathad
obstructedpeaceeffortsintheUnitedNationsthroughheruseofthevetoortheboycottingofits
meetings.

Inmilitaryparlance,theterm"coverandsupport"usedbyMr.Trumanasmissionsforourforces
meansthattheywouldseektodestroyanyNorthKoreaair,groundorseaforces,aswellastheir
installations,thatareencounteredbelowtheThirtyeighthParallel.Theywoulddothesamein
supportofanycounteroffensivethattheSouthKoreaforcesmightbeabletomount.

ThusthecomplexionoftheKoreansituationwaschangedovernight.Yesterdayofficialswere
inclinedtoseeSouthKorea,withhersmall,poorlyequippedforces,asgoodaslost.Itwas
acknowledged,asPresidentSyngmanRheeofSouthKoreahadcomplained,thataidintheform
ofmunitionsandsupplieswas"toolittleandtoolate."