Office of the Historian

Lot 55D128: Black Book, Tab 13: Telegram

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

secret
flash
Tokyo, 28 August 1951—10:11 p. m.

CX–69802. Subject to some new development here in interim, I shall broadcast to Generals Kim Il Sung and Peng Teh Huai at 290900K Aug 51 the following msg:

“Your message of 28 Aug has been received.

“A reinvestigation of the alleged incident of 22 Aug will serve no purpose other than to continue this unjustifiable delay in the armistice negotiations.

“As stated in my previous msg of 25 Aug, when you are prepared to terminate the suspension of armistice negotiations, which you declared on 23 Aug, I will direct my representatives to meet with yours, with a view to seeking a reasonable armistice agreement.”1

  1. The following revision of the second paragraph was drafted in the Department of State by U. Alexis Johnson, approved by Messrs. Acheson, Matthews, and Rusk, and communicated by the Joint Chiefs of Staff to General Ridgway, who incorporated it in his message as broadcast on August 29:

    “On the night August 23 your liaison officer Col. Chang specifically refused the requests of my liaison officer to continue the investigation during daylight and to leave all of the alleged evidence in place. The offer you now make to permit a reinvestigation after this lapse of time could serve no purpose other than to continue this unjustifiable delay in the armistice negotiations.” (Black Book, Tabs 14, 15, 16)

    ↩