Lot 55D128: Black Book, Tab 8; Telegram
The Commander in Chief, United Nations Command (Ridgway) to the Joint Chiefs of Staff
C–52800. Following for your info:
Part 1. Subject is summary of liaison meeting this morning. Met at 1000. Communists presented the following proposed agreement:
“Agreement on matters concerning resumption of conference by the delegations reached by liaison officers of both sides at the liaison meetings of October 10 and 11.
“1. Conference site.
“The specific site where the conference of the delegations will be resumed in the vicinity of Pan Mun Jom is fixed at the conference site where the liaison officers of both sides met on October 11.
[Page 1032]“2. Provisional arrangements for the first meeting of the delegations of both sides on resumption of the conference.
“a. No hostile act of any kind should be carried out by any armed force of both sides, including all regular and irregular elements and armed personnel of the ground, naval and air forces, against the conference site area with the conference site as its center and 1000 yards as radius.
“b. Except the military police provided for below, no armed personnel of either side is permitted in the conference site area. Designated officers of both sides shall be jointly responsible for the security and preservation of order within the conference site area. Each side will provide a military police detachment of 2 officers and 15 men to assist in the performance of these duties while the delegation parties are present. The military police will only carry small arms, namely pistols, rifles and carbines. During periods when the delegation parties are not present, 1 officer and 5 men of the military police from each side will be stationed in the conference site area.
“c. Both delegations and their parties, the composition of which shall be decided by themselves respectively, shall have free access to, and free movement within the Pan Mun Jom conference site area.
“d. The United Nations Command delegation has sought assurance from the delegation of the Korean People’s Army and the Chinese People’s Volunteers against attack on the road from Munsan to Pan Muh Jom and on the circular area centered on the United Nations Command delegation camp at Munsan and having a radius of 3000 yards. The delegation of the Korean People’s Army and the Chinese People’s Volunteers has agreed that, in order to facilitate travel by the United Nations Command delegation to Pan Mun Jom for resumption of the conference, and prior to agreement on extending the neutral zone to include Kaesong, Pan Mun Jom and Munsan, each side will refrain from hostile acts of any kind against the road from Munsan to Pan Mun Jom and against the Munsan area.
“3. Facilities and arrangements for the meeting place.
“Physical facilities and communication and administrative requirements with respect to the negotiations and the conference site area will be as agreed upon by the liaison officers of both sides. The delegation of the Korean People’s Army and the Chinese People’s Volunteers will be responsible for providing a suitable joint facility for use as a meeting place of the delegations and for the arrangements within the conference room. Except for this installation, each delegation will provide its own facilities.
“4. Date and time for resumption of conference.
“The date and time for resumption of the conference of the delegations will be determined by agreement between the liaison officers of both sides.”
[Page 1033]Morning session adjourned at 1130. Will resume at 1430.
Part 2. Murray will present following counterproposal this afternoon:
“Draft agreement establishing conditions for armistice conferences at Pan Mun Jom.
“1. The specific site at which the conference of the delegations will be resumed in the vicinity of Pan Mun Jom is indicated in the attached map.
“2. The conference area is a circular area having a radius of 1000 yards centered on the conference site as shown on the attached map.
“3. No act of armed force will be carried out by the armed forces of either side against the conference area as defined above.
“4. Except for the military police provided for below, no armed personnel of either side is permitted in conference area. Designated officers of both sides shall be jointly responsible for the security and preservation of order within the conference area. Each side will provide a military police detachment of 2 officers and 15 men to assist in the performance of these duties while the delegation parties are present. The military police will only carry small arms, namely pistols, rifles and carbines. During periods when the delegation parties are not present, 1 officer and 5 men of the military police from each side will be stationed in the conference site area.
“5. Both delegations and their parties, the composition of which shall be decided by themselves respectively, shall have free access to, and free movement within the Pan Mun Jom conference area.
“6. Physical facilities and communication and administrative arrangements with respect to the negotiations and the conference site area will be as agreed upon by the liaison officers of both sides. The delegation of the Korean People’s Army and the Chinese People’s Volunteers will be responsible for providing a suitable joint facility for use as a meeting place of the delegations and for the arrangements within the conference room. Except for this installation, each delegation will provide its own facilities.
“7. The delegation of the Korean People’s Army and Chinese People’s Volunteers agrees to refrain from acts of armed force against the United Nations Command delegation camp area enclosed in a circle having a radius of 3000 yards and against the road from that area to Pan Mun Jom as indicated on the attached map.”
Part 3. I have instructed Murray to inform the Communists that if they will accept the above counterproposal with the following paragraph added, a definite commitment can be made as to the time the UNC delegation will meet with the Communist delegation at Pan Mun Jom:
“[8.] The United Nations Command delegation agrees to refrain from acts of armed force against the camp of the delegation of the [Page 1034] Korean People’s Army and the Chinese People’s Volunteers contained within a circle having a radius of 3000 yards centered on the traffic circle at Kaesong and against the road from that area to Pan Mun Jom.”
Part 4. Communists have shown evidences of anxiety to have delegations meet immediately. We feel that by having liaison officers present in firm manner the conditions necessary for resumption of delegation meetings, possibly further concessions can be gained. This will also facilitate consideration of substantive discussions on resumption of delegation meetings.
Part 5. Liaison meetings resumed 1430. Murray presented counterproposal. Chang refused to “buy it” on grounds it included matters related to extension neutral zone which could be referred to delegates, particularly paragraph 8. Chang then sought to shift discussion to his proposal of morning session as basis for an agreement on those matters on which agreement could be reached reserving matters on which agreement could not be reached for decision by the delegates. Murray stated that he was prepared to discuss time and date of resumption of meetings only on basis of UNC counter-proposal, but that he had no objection to comparing the proposal and the counter-proposal. He then gave a point by point comparison between the two showing wherein UNC version was preferable. Chang finally and with obvious reluctance proposed recess during which each side would study the proposals of the other side. Meeting recessed 1600 to resume 1000 tomorrow. Estimate Communists proposal tomorrow’s session will correspond in all essentials to our counter-proposal except for paragraph 8.