Lot 55D128: Black Book, Tab 47: Telegram
The Commander in Chief, United Nations Command (Ridgway) to the Joint Chiefs of Staff
HNC–047. This msg in two parts.
Part 1. Re your 95864.1 Ambassador Sebald returned Tokyo this date without proceeding beyond Pusan. Ambassador Muccio’s advice and counsel highly important to me on military matters and urgency of his advice on such subjects requires, in my opinion, his presence nearby. Had intended he remain with me in base camp, Munsan, but in view of your msg have requested him remain at Seoul.
Part 2. On afternoon of 9 July I had made the decision that we must have press coverage at Kaesong. I called a meeting of representatives of all media to meet with me at 1800 in Seoul that afternoon. Approximately 150 attended. I told them of two decisions just made:
First, that I would arrange for press coverage at Kaesong by a representative limited number of the entire corps, beginning on the second day of the meetings, or as soon as agreement could be reached; that until this conference was well established, with a reasonable expectation that it would continue, I have decided it unwise to seek to change arrangements already made with the Communist representatives for the first meeting.
Second, that the entire corps was invited to Munsan, and that a train providing living and messing facilities for the entire corps would be available to take them from Seoul to Munsan.
Reception accorded these two decisions seemed to be one of enthusiastic appreciation.
The correspondents were informed at this same meeting that the preliminary meeting of liaison officers on 8 July had been covered by an official Signal Corps photographer, who took both still and movies, all of which were available to the entire corps, and that the [Page 649] same procedure was being followed for the first meeting of the delegations themselves on 10 July.
The foregoing measures were decided in my judgment as those most likely to comply with JCS guidance concerning secrecy of initial meetings and the importance of avoiding risking a breakup of the conference at the outset.