Lot 55D128: Black Book, Tab B: Telegram
The Joint Chiefs of Staff to the Commander in Chief, Far East (Ridgway)
priority
JCS–84081. From JCS. Reur C 67459 and JCS 96615, Jul 51.1
1. JCS are reexamining your armistice instructions with view to [Page 1035] determination now of a United States policy which envisages, if such should become necessary to effect release of UN prisoners or prevent a breakdown of the armistice negotiations, an overall exchange of prisoners on a bulk basis.
2. In their reexamination of your armistice instructions JCS are including problem of obtaining release of certain specific civilian internees captured at time of invasion of South Korea. Such internees would be generally limited to staffs of British and French dipl missions in Seoul, the Apostolic Delegate, press correspondents, and other Americans and natls of UN mbrs.
3. In order to achieve insofar as possible humanitarian objectives, JCS are considering possibility that prior to the reaching of an armistice agreement, individuals who have rendered outstanding assistance to UN command or whose return to Communist control would result in death or enslavement might be paroled as provided in Geneva convention.
4. Your comments are requested on foregoing for incorporation in JCS study on these matters.
- Neither printed, but for a summary of the content of these messages, see Hermes, Truce Tent and Fighting Front, pp. 136–137. In July, the Joint Chiefs of Staff had raised the question of voluntary repatriation for prisoners of war held by the U.N. Command, meaning that Chinese prisoners of Nationalist sympathy would be sent to Taiwan, and more generally, that no Chinese or North Korean prisoners would be forced to return to Communist held territory without their consent. General Ridgway felt that the idea had some merit, but pointed out that, while the Taiwan proposal complied with the letter of the Geneva Convention, the voluntary repatriation concept did not; he feared that its adoption might set a dangerous precedent for future wars and also provide a propaganda weapon for the Communist side during the present hostilities.↩