795.00/10–2250: Telegram
The Commander in Chief, Far East (MacArthur) to the Joint Chiefs of Staff
operational immediate
[Received October 22—5:03 a. m.]
C–67154. Urmsg JCS 94799.1 … I do not believe it advisable to issue any statement with ref future opns of the Suiho Hydroelectric Power Plant near Sinuiju, at least until it is under our control and we have had the opportunity to determine the disposition being made of its power output. There would certainly be no intent on the part of this Comd to disturb any peaceful and reasonable application of this power supply and it would be repugnant to destructively interrupt any constructive uses to which it is being applied. If, however, this power is being utilized in furtherance of potentially hostile military purposes through the manufacture of munitions of war or there is a diversion of it from the minimum peaceful reqmts of the Korean people, most serious doubts would at once arise as to our justification for maintaining the status quo. Moreover, I do not believe it advisable for this Comd [Page 992] publicly to predict the future policies, decisions and actions of the UN Commission for unification and rehabilitation of Korea, at least without consultation with its membership. To do so could not fail to arouse international resentment at the unilateral action involved and might well impute the US in the eyes of the Korean people responsibility for the initiation of obnoxious and distasteful measures. For these reasons I believe that it would be inadvisable for the UN Comd to issue any statement on this matter at this time.