Foreign Relations of the United States, 1946, The Far East, Volume VIII

740.00119 Control (Korea)/11–446: Telegram

The Political Adviser in Korea (Langdon) to the Secretary of State

secret

Seoul, [November 2, 1946.]
[Received November 4—3:57 a.m.]

Tfurc 66 [to Tokyo]. [From Langdon and Bunce:] “The following is the text of General Hodge’s reply⁷¹ transmitted today to Soviet Commander’s letter of October 26 quoted in our Tfurc 65:

“Dear General Chistiakov: I thank you for your letter of October 26, 1946, and agree with you that the continuation of the division of Korea into two parts works great hardship on the Korean people. It also weakens the prestige of two great Allies who cooperated so fully to bring a victorious end to the bitterest war in history. Each added month of this division tends to make more difficult the implementation of the Moscow decision on Korea made by the foreign Ministers of the Allies last December.

For the purposes of reconciling the differences between the United States and the USSR delegations, which are not fully resolved in your letter, I propose that the following basis of agreement for reconvening the Joint US–USSR Commission be accepted by both the Soviet and American delegations with view to the early resumption of the sessions of the Joint Commission. It is agreed to interpret paragraphs 2 and 3 of the declaration in communiqué No. 5 of the US–USSR Joint Commission dated April 17th, 1946, to mean that such individuals, parties and social organizations shall not foment or instigate mass opposition to the work of the Joint Commission or the fulfillment of the Moscow decision. Those individuals, parties, and social organizations which do foment or instigate such opposition shall be excluded from further consultation with the Joint Commission. The decision excluding such individuals, parties and social organizations shall be by agreement of the Joint Commission.

In consideration of this interpretation of the declaration established in communiqué No. 5 of the Joint Commission, dated April 17th, 1946, both delegations agree that they will not oppose consultation with any individual, political party, or social organization which subscribes to and abides by the declaration published in joint communiqué No. 5.

In order to eliminate any possible future misunderstanding, I believe it is advisable briefly to restate the position of the United States at this time.

(a) The United States has always favored the exact fulfillment of the Moscow decision by the Joint Commission. This decision obviously includes the preparation of proposals “for the working out of an agreement concerning a Four Power trusteeship of Korea for a period of up to five years” which “shall be submitted for the joint consideration” of the Four Powers “following consultation with the provisional Korean government”. However, there is nothing in the Moscow decision which predetermines the terms or nature of a Four Power trusteeship except that it shall be a method “for helping and assisting (trusteeship) the political, economic and social progress of the Korean people, the development of democratic self-government, and the establishment of the national independence of Korea” to be worked out “with the participation of the provisional Korean democratic government,” and a limitation placed upon its duration.

(b) The United States has always favored the exercise of freedom of speech in Korea. The United States believes that all Korean democratic parties and social organizations should be permitted to make known their desires in the formation of their own government. The representatives of the United States see a great difference between (1) the instigation of mass opposition to the work of the Joint Commission and the fulfillment of the Moscow decision, and (2) the proper exercise of freedom of expression by Korean individuals, democratic parties and groups concerning their wishes and desires in the formation of their own government. On the basis of the United; States’ position herein stated and the suggested interpretation of paragraphs 2 and 3 of the declaration in communiqué No. 5 to the Joint Commission which is approved for the United States delegation, the American Command proposes that the Joint Commission resume its work without delay and I again cordially invite Soviet delegation to return to Seoul at an early date for the purpose of resuming negotiations. I shall be pleased to hear from you as early as possible in order that the necessary preliminary arrangements can be effected.”

United Press from London on October 30 relayed Radio Moscow report that the Soviet delegation wished Joint Commission to reconvene soonest possible and added that the broadcast quoted exchange of letters between Generals Hodge and Chistiakov. Please inform us or ascertain for us whether Chistiakov’s letter of October 26 was released by Moscow⁷² as information urgently needed for determining our local treatment of this last exchange of letters.⁷³

[

Langdon

and

Bunce

]

71. Dated November 1.
72. The Moscow press on October 31 devoted two columns to excerpts from the Hodge–Chistiakov exchange of correspondence and cited at particular length from the Chistiakov letter of October 26, according to telegram 4062, November 4, 3 p.m., from Moscow.
73. Telegram Tfgcg 524, November 7, from Seoul, reported General Hodge’s press release of that day on the exchange of correspondence on August 12, October 26, and November 1 and further comment by General Hodge. He pointed out that no “exact meaning of ‘trusteeeship’” had been defined and that this would await consultation between the Joint Commission and the provisional Korean government still to be established. He hoped this could be done, “thus ending the unhappy division of Korea and the uncertainty of its people.” (740.00119 Control (Korea)/11–746)