Re: Muccio-Rhee

[<Jhk789@aol.com>]

In a message dated 1/27/2002 4:52:09 PM Pacific Standard Time, evanhoe@arbuckleonline.com writes:


> Wow!  Where in the world did you come up that view of the Muccio-Rhee 
> connection ?  No matter because it is way off base.


Well,
according to info I have, Rhee was under constant watch and control
by Muccio who had an open access to Rhee at any time. Muccio
also accomplished this through close people to Rhee too.
For instance, Rhee's Austrian wife "quite frequently telephoned just
to tip me(Muccio) off that he(Rhee) was about to do something...."
In addition, Rhee's American adviser, Harold Noble, an American
intelligence officer, also reported on Rhee's moves to Muccio.

Apparently Rhee also sought Muccio's consent before he took
any important moves. For instance, when he wanted to replace
ROK Army chief of staff, Chae Byong-Duk, with Kim Suk-Won.
an intense anti-communist, former Japanese military officer, 
Rhee first consulted this with Muccio who opposed the idea. 
Then, Rhee backed away and did not make the change.
(See Cumings, Korea's Place in the Sun, p. 249)

Although Rhee had a strong ego, he knew his place and
,in most cases, tried to follow American wishes.
How could he do otherwise? As one reporter(A.T.Steele)observed, 
"only American money, weapons, and technical assistance enable the
Republic to exist for more than a few hours." (Cumings, p.253)
If he did as he wished, he could have started an all-out war in  8/1949
when Chiang visited Rhee and both discussed attacking North and
China through Manchuria. Chiang offered his troops & Air Force.

BTW, CIA did an excellent "personality" study on Rhee in 1948:
"His intellect is a shallow one, and his behavior is often irrational
and even childish....The danger exists...that Rhee's inflated ego
may lead him into action disastrous or at least highly embarrassing
to the new Korean Government and to the interests of the US."
Perhaps, that's why Muccio and other Americans tried to manage
Rhee closely. I wonder who wrote the report. A field officer in Korea or someone working in the US? 

John2