Lot 55D128: Black Book, Tab 41: Telegram
The Joint Chiefs of Staff to the Commander in Chief, Far East ( Ridgway )
operational immediate
JCS 95862. From JCS for CINCUNC eyes only. Personal for Ridgway. JCS have considered your proposal to issue a public statement similar to that proposed in part 2 your G 670–TAC KCG.1 Although we recognize that it has some merit insofar as the Chinese people are concerned, we feel that on an overall basis the issuance of such a statement on the eve of armistice negotiations would be inappropriate. At the maximum, it might well lead to a breakdown of negotiations; at the minimum, it would have undesirable domestic and international political repercussions. We feel that it would be particularly inappropriate for you as the UN Mil Cdr to issue such a statement even though you are not participating directly in the armistice negotiations. At a later date if armistice negotiations should fail, such a statement may well be appropriate. However we feel that if it is then made it should be done on the highest governmental level.
- Supra.↩