Lot 55D128: Black Book, Tab 11: Telegram
The Joint Chiefs of Staff to the Commander in Chief, Far East (Ridgway)
operational immediate
JCS–98216. From JCS. Reur C 68437.1
1. Fully appreciate your attitude concerning Communist propaganda but consider that in effect they have accepted your conditions in your last broadcast. To impose new conditions now would be difficult to justify in many important quarters. Believe you should continue negotiations after making folg broadcast.
“I have received and noted contents of your message of 6 Aug. You state that orders have again been issued to your Kaesong area guards to adhere strictly to the regulation that no armed guards would enter the conference area; in order that incidents similar to that of 4 Aug will not occur again.
“I have also noted that you describe such incidents as minor, accidental [Page 790] and trivial. Such incidents are of fundamental importance, as I have before pointed out. The incidents are neither minor nor trivial. Their accidental nature is in doubt, since mortar and machinegun squads, in violation of your agreement, were present with their equipment in the neutral area, whereas the only armed forces in the neutral area were to be those required for mil police functions.
“It must be clearly understood that my acceptance of a resumption of the armistice talks is conditional on complete compliance with your guarantees of neutralization of the Kaesong area. Any further failure in this regard will be interpreted as a deliberate move on your part to terminate the armistice negotiations.”2
2. JCS 981893 downgraded to secret.