Office of the Historian

Lot 55D128: Black Book, Tab 17: Telegram

The Commander in Chief, Far East (Ridgway) to the Joint Chiefs of Staff

secret
flash
Tokyo, 9 August 1951—11:50 p. m.

C–68633. This msg in 2 parts.

Part 1. The fol msg was delivered to UN Command Liaison Officer by Communist Liaison Officer at outpost line located vie of Pan Mun Jom at 1700K hours this date.

“Aug 9th, 1951, General Ridgway, your msg of Aug 7 has been received. We informed you in our reply dated Aug 6 that ‘We have again ordered our guards in the Kaesong neutral zone to adhere strictly to the agreement of July 14 and to ensure that incidents violating the agreement shall not occur again.’ You must be aware that this agreement is in the agreement concerning the neutralization of the Kaesong area referred to in your same msg of Aug 7. As we have seriously ensured the strict adherence to the agreement concerning the neutralization of the Kaesong area, it is inconceivable that there will [Page 799] be any further failure on our part to comply with the agreement, unless you should deliberately fabricate incidents as an excuse to terminate the armistice negotiations. On our part, we definitely will not terminate the negotiations rashly and irresponsibly without going through the procedural steps of protest, investigation, consultation and settlement, should a similar failure on your part occur. We continue to hope that you instruct your delegates to come to Kaesong to resume the conference. Kim Il Sung, Supreme Commander of the Korean Peoples Army. Peng Teh Huai, Commander of the Chinese Peoples volunteers.”

Part 2. I have instructed Admiral Joy as fols: “Inform the Senior Communist Liaison Officer as fols: ‘I have been instructed by the Commander in Chief, United Nations Command, to resume the conference on the basis that it is inconceivable that there will be any further failure on their part to comply with the agreement regarding neutralization of the Kaesong area, as stated in msg of 9 Aug to General Ridgway from General Kim Il Sung and Peng Teh Huai. Accordingly I suggest we resume the conference at 1100 hours 10 Aug, Seoul time’.1

“It is desired that concurrently with delivery of this msg to the Senior Communist Liaison Officer you release the identical msg to the press.”

  1. The time of the August 10 meeting was changed to 1:30 p. m., Korean time.↩