97. Letter From the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs (Gray) to the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Robertson)1

Dear Mr. Robertson : Reference is made to our agreement of 24 August 19552 with Mr. Sebald of your office relating to a solution of [Page 179] the NNSC problem, in which it was agreed that October 15th would be the deadline date for terminating NNSC activities. In a telephone conversation with Mr. Murphy on October 8,3 I agreed to extend briefly the time beyond the deadline of October 15 to provide every opportunity for the successful achievement of the termination of NNSC activities in the Republic of Korea by the Swiss and the Swedes. I am aware from various conversations with you and Mr. Sebald that there have been further negotiations this week with them, but that no final reply has been received.4

As you may know, I depart today for the Geneva conference5 and feel impelled to record my views at this time, inasmuch as I shall be away from Washington for perhaps two weeks or more.

More than two months have elapsed since our August 24 agreement, and we find the Commander-in-Chief, United Nations Command, currently facing more exasperating problems caused by the NNSC than he has faced at almost any time during the Armistice. The Department of Defense for the past two years has been patient while diplomatic efforts were being made to solve the NNSC problem. I appreciate the political aspects of the problem, but political efforts directed towards it have not achieved the desired results.

I feel strongly that we should not share in responsibility for the predictable results of indefinite delay: Pressure for action by the Koreans by resumption of violent demonstrations while we are unable or unwilling to take action under such pressure.

Although I agreed to an extension of time beyond our agreed deadline of October 15 to permit the Swiss and the Swedes more time to take their second step, I do not believe I can conscientiously permit our agreed deadline to extend indefinitely. It is, therefore, urgently requested that steps be taken by the Department of State to permit the Department of Defense to instruct the Commander-in-Chief, United Nations Command, to remove the NNSC teams to the Demilitarized Zone on November 21, unless the purpose has been accomplished by other means in the meantime.

Sincerely,

Gordon Gray
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 795.00/11–555. No classification marking.
  2. See Document 82.
  3. See footnote 3, Document 90.
  4. In separate conversations with Swiss Counselor Schnyder and Swedish Ambassador Boheman on November 1, Robertson learned that the Swiss and Swedish representatives on the NNSC had jointly proposed the withdrawal of all inspection teams to the demilitarized zone, but that the Polish and Czech members on the commission had rejected the proposal. Neither Schnyder nor Boheman knew what steps their governments planned to take after the rejection of their joint proposal. (Memoranda of conversations by McClurkin; Department of State, Central Files, 795.00/11–155)
  5. The Foreign Ministers Conference met in Geneva, October 27–November 6, 1955.