Lot 55D128: Black Book, Tab 15: Telegram
The Commander in Chief, Far East (Ridgway) to the Joint Chiefs of Staff
C–53096. “The following message in 3 parts.
“Part I. Following proposed agreement was presented by Communists at meeting beginning at 1000 this morning:
‘Agreement between liaison officers on matters concerning resumption of conference by the delegations.
‘1. The specific site at Which the conference of the delegations will be resumed in the vicinity of Pan Mun Jom is indicated on the attached map.
‘2. The conference site area is a circular area having a radius of 1000 yards centered on the conference site as shown on the attached map.
‘3. No hostile acts of any kind shall be carried out by any armed force of either side, including all regular and irregular elements and armed personnel of the ground, naval and air forces, against the conference site area as defined above.
‘4. Except for 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.
‘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 site 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 Korean People’s Army and the Chinese People’s Volunteers agrees that all armed forces of both sides, including [Page 1051] all regular and irregular elements and armed personnel of the ground, naval and air forces, shall refrain from hostile acts of any kind against the circular area centered on the United Nations Command Delegation Camp at Munsan and having a radius of 5 miles, and against the area of a mile and a half to either side of the road from Munsan to Pan Mun Jom (as indicated on the attached map).
‘8. The date and time for resumption of the conference of the delegations will be determined by agreement between the liaison officers of both sides.
‘The 2 signatory parties agree that articles 1 A U [?] of the above agreement may also be the draft of the related part of the agreement of security arrangements to be discussed and stipulated by the delegations of both sides for the entire duration of the armistice negotiations.
‘Col. A. J. Kinney, Senior Liaison Officer, United Nations Command Delegation.
‘Col Chang Chun San, Senior Liaison Officer, Delegation of the Korean People’s Army and the Chinese People’s Volunteers’.
“Part II. Articles 1, 4, 5 and 6 coincide with similar articles latest UNC proposal. Article 2 Communist proposal uses ‘conference site area’ for ‘conference area’ in UNC proposal. Communist Article 3 uses ‘hostile acts of any kind’ in place of UNC ‘act of armed force’ and enumerates components of armed forces. Communists Article 7 differs from UNC proposal as follows: (1) In making restriction applicable to both sides, (2) in enumerating components of armed forces, (3) in use ‘hostile acts’ in place of ‘acts of armed force’, and (4) in limits of area.
“The difference between the above proposed provisional agreement and the UNC proposed draft agreement is indicated by comparison of the entry which precedes the signature on the two papers and by the difference in their titles.
“Part III. Meeting resumes 1400I today. UNC will counter-propose an 8 article agreement, the acceptance of which along with the acceptance of 3 understandings, would permit resumption of the talks. The understandings are: ‘The liaison officers of both sides mutually understand that:
‘1. In Item 3 of the proposed agreement, the term “armed forces” includes all Army, Navy and Air Force regular and irregular but does not include persons not inspired by or subject to the control of either side. It is recognized that each side is responsible for protecting its delegation from the activities of such persons behind its own lines.
[Page 1052]‘2. Investigation of reported violations of agreements shall be conducted as has been the practice of the liaison officers in the past.
‘3. All previous security agreement and agreements regarding the Kaesong Conference area and neutral zone are rescinded and superseded by the agreement governing conditions for the armistice conference at Pan Mun Jom when ratified by the delegations’.
“We will accept ‘conference site area’ in Article 2. We will propose the phrase ‘hostile acts of armed force’ in lieu of ‘hostile acts’ or ‘acts of armed force’ wherever it is used, making our agreement subject to the understanding that we cannot give any guarantees against aircraft overflying the areas involved under conditions beyond our control.
“As regards Article 7 where enemy is attempting to use Kaesong Zone phraseology, we will [shift?] responsibility to their side as indicated in Par 7 of UNC proposal and will insist on the 3000 yard radius in lieu of 5 mile radius on basis latter unnecessary and productive of incidents. Provisional nature of document can be eliminated by independent ratification by both delegations prior to the first plenary session.”