On a sultry afternoon last week, the revolving doors whirled and a brisk little Asian stepped into the lobby of the Washington Star building. He strode over to the marble classified-ad counter and stuck out his hand. "I am President Rhee of the Republic of Korea," he said. The flabbergasted clerk took his hand and murmured, "I'm glad to meet you," just as John Simmons, the equally flabbergasted State Department protocol officer, caught up with Syngman Rhee and whisked him off to the offices of the Star's Editor Ben McKelway for a chat.
A short while later President Rhee appeared on the...