115. Memorandum on the Substance of Discussion at the Department of State–Joint Chiefs of Staff Meeting, Washington, February 4, 1956, 11:30 a.m.1

[Here follows a list of 23 persons present, including Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Radford, General Twining, General Taylor, and Admiral Arleigh A. Burke, Chief of Naval Operations. Assistant Secretary Gray also represented the Department of Defense. The Department [Page 215] of State officials included Murphy, Mac Arthur, and Robertson. General Cabell attended the meeting for the CIA and S. Everett Gleason represented the NSC]

1. Status of the NNSC

Mr. Robertson reported on recent developments on the NNSC problem in Korea. He said that both the Swedes and the Swiss are now definitely committed to the policy of withdrawing the inspection teams and are endeavoring to get communist agreement. There might have to be a compromise on keeping one team in the demilitarized zone, but the Swedes and the Swiss are determined to get the teams removed from the territory of the Republic of Korea. He emphasized again that they felt strongly about working this out on their own responsibility in an orderly way and would not act if it seemed they were doing so under duress.

Admiral Radford remarked that this was good news and said that he had told Syngman Rhee on his recent visit to Korea that he thought the teams would be out by the end of February. Mr. Robertson expressed the hope that that deadline would be met. Admiral Radford went on to say that the real problem now involves Clause 13 (d) of the Armistice Agreement, concerning the introduction of new equipment into Korea. He stressed the run-down state of present matériel and spoke of the need to have new planes going in on a rotation basis. Mr. Robertson said the Department of State agrees thoroughly with the JCS position on the need for new equipment but suggested there would have to be some time lag between the solution of the NNSC problem and action on Clause 13 (d).

[Here follows discussion of unrelated subjects.]

  1. Source: Department of State, State–JCS Meetings: Lot 61 D 417. Top Secret. A note on the title page reads: “State Draft. Not cleared with any of participants.”