Office of the Historian

740.00119 Control (Korea)/1–2946: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Chargé in the Soviet Union (Kennan)

secret
u.s. urgent
Washington, January 29, 1946—8 p.m.

162. On suggestion Gen. Shtikov, head Soviet group Korea, that arrangements be made for two-power commission, Gen. Hodge recommended that commission of five official members for each country meet in Seoul as soon as Soviets are ready. Please express hope to Fonoff that arrangements between the two Commanders will lead to creation of the Commission as soon as possible.45

Byrnes
  1. In telegram 301, January 31, 1 p.m., from Moscow, Mr. Kennan reported his note to the Foreign Office expressing hope that joint commission in Korea could soon be created and stated: “In general, I do not consider it advisable, from standpoint of those of our officials who are obliged to negotiate with Russian officials outside of USSR, that proposals which they make to their Soviet counterparts should be supported by representations of this Embassy to FonAff Commissariat” because “it often has unfavorable effect of encouraging local Soviet officials to refrain from taking responsibility for decisions, in the confidence that questions will be taken to higher authorities anyway.” (740.00119 Control-(Korea)/1–3146)↩