Editorial Note
On July 13, at 1 p. m., Tokyo time, General Ridgway made the following broadcast over the Armed Forces Radio; the text, which is here taken from Lot 55D128: Black Book, Tab 76, is virtually identical with that printed in the Department of State Bulletin, July 23, 1951, pages 152–153.
“To Gen. Kim Il Sung and Gen. Peng Teh-Huai:
“In my initial message to you on 30 June I proposed that representatives meet aboard a Danish hospital ship. I suggested that site since it would have afforded equal freedom of access to both parties, including any elements such as newsmen associated with the party. It would have provided a completely neutral atmosphere free of the menacing presence of armed troops of either side. It would have provided adequate communications facilities of all kinds.
“Your reply to my message made no reference to my proposed meeting place. Instead you proposed Kaesong. In the interest of expediting the end of bloodshed and to demonstrate the good faith under which the United Nations command was proceeding, I accepted Kaesong as the site for our discussion.
“In so doing I expected the condition referred to above, vital to the success of any such discussions, would be afforded at Kaesong. In order to provide further assurances that such conditions would in fact exist at the conference site, my liaison officers in the initial meeting with yours on July 8 proposed that a 10-mile-wide corridor centered on the Kumchong-Kaesong-Munsan road and limited by Kumchon on the north and Munsan on the south be established a neutral zone free of any hostile action by either party.
“They further recommended that United Nations forces within this corridor remain south of an east-west line to the south edge of Kaesong while your forces within this corridor remained north of an east-west line to the north edge of Kaesong, leaving the town of Kaesong restricted to entry only by those individuals in the delegation party.
“Agreement on this proposal would have insured freedom of movement to both delegations, to and from the meetings and within the town of Kaesong. However, your liaison officers declined to agree to this proposal, stating that it was not needed to insure satisfactory conditions at the conference site for both delegations.
[Page 672]“To show good faith and to avoid delay I accepted your assurances instead of my proposal to establish a neutral zone. Since the opening of the conference it has been evident that the equality of treatment so essential to the conduct of armistice negotiations is lacking. Since the first meeting at Kaesong your delegation has placed restrictions on the movement of our delegation. It has subjected our personnel to the close proximity of your armed guard, it has delayed and blocked passage of our couriers. It has withheld its cooperation in establishment of two-way communications with our base even though it agreed to do so immediately. It has refused admittance to the conference area certain personnel in our convoy which I desire and for whose conduct I stated I assumed full responsibility.
“Extension of the present recess and the delay in resuming the conference of our delegation is solely due to those unnecessary and unreasonable restrictions against which my representatives have repeatedly protested.
“As pointed out to your representatives by Vice Admiral Joy, my personal representative in the first meeting of 10 July, the hope for success of these discussions rested upon the good faith of both sides. With good faith, mutual confidence might be established, an atmosphere of truth created and the attainment of an honorable and enduring settlement brought measurably nearer.
“The record of the United Nations command delegation to date is open for world inspection. It established beyond any shadow of doubt their honorable intentions and good faith at every stage of the proceedings. With full and solemn realization of the vital importance of our conferences to all the peoples of the world, the United Nations command delegation is prepared to continue our discussions in the same spirit of good faith at any time that we receive assurance that your delegation will proceed in like spirit.
“The assurances which I require are simple and few. They include as primary prerequisites the establishment of an agreed conference area of suitable extent completely free of armed personnel of either side. Each delegation must have complete reciprocity of treatment to include complete and equal freedom of movement to, from and within the agreed conference area and complete and equal freedom at all times in the selection of the personnel in its delegation party to include representatives of the press.
“I therefore now propose that a circular area with its center approximately at the center of Kaesong and with a 5-mile radius be agreed upon as a neutral zone. The eastern limit of the neutral zone shall be the present point of contact of our forces at Pan-Mun-Jon. I propose that we both agree to refrain from any hostile acts within this zone during the entire period of our conference. I propose that we agree that the area of the conference site and the roads leading thereto used by personnel of both delegation parties be completely free of armed personnel.
“I further propose we both agree that the total personnel of each delegation within the neutral area at any time be limited to a maximum of 150. I propose that we agree that the composition of each delegation be at the discretion of its commander. It is understood that [Page 673] personnel to be admitted to the actual conference chamber should be limited to these agreed upon by your representatives and mine.
“If you agree to these proposals the present recess can be terminated and the conference resumed without delay and with some expectation of progress. Radio telephone is available to you for communication to me of your reply. If you prefer to send your reply by liaison officer I guarantee his safety within my lines during daylight providing you inform me of the time and route by which he will travel and the manner by which he may be identified. Should you continue to insist that restrictions are necessary for our personal safety or for any other person, I propose that the conference site be moved to a locality which will afford the few simple assurances I have specified herein.
“Signed: M. B. Ridgway, General, United States Army, Commander in Chief, United Nations Command.”