Office of the Historian

795.00/2–2054: Telegram

The Ambassador in Korea (Briggs) to the Department of State

secret
priority
Seoul, February 20, 1954—3 p.m.

813. Re Deptels 683 and 684.1 While it would have been helpful had we been able convey Secretary’s personal message contained Deptel-683 to President Rhee during Young’s and my conversation with him yesterday, reported Embtel 810,2 time for such message (which reached Seoul only this morning) would appear to have passed. Furthermore, we conveyed substance of message during presentation pursuant Deptel 679.3 Rhee departed for Chinhae immediately following that conversation and is consequently not immediately available. Meantime, ROK Government spokesmen, including Foreign Minister and Director OPI, have been heaping abuse on Berlin agreement in series of statements and editorials. I, therefore, believe we should reserve authority of Secretary’s name for more substantively important message should such message appear necessary in light developments.4

[Page 20]

For further comments of ROK attitude see immediately following telegram.

Briggs
  1. See footnote 2 to telegram 2615, p. 18.↩
  2. Supra.↩
  3. Same as telegram 230 to Munsan-Ni; see footnote 1, supra.↩
  4. The Department of State expressed agreement in telegram 687, Feb. 20, to Seoul (795.00/2–2054).↩