Lot 55D128: Black Book, Tab 12: Telegram

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

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C–58637. For info CINCUNC Adv HNC 511.

“The following questions were asked by UNC yesterday immediately following introduction of few Communist proposal: (Questions on principle 6):

“1. Does your 6 preclude the return to Korea of individuals sent elsewhere for short periods of rest or temporary duty?

“2. Does your 6 preclude furnishing a replacement for a soldier evacuated because of illness, injury, or expiration of his term of service?

“3. Does your 6 prevent replacing, say, a company with a company of similar size and types?

“4. Do you intend by this to prohibit rotation and replenishment for UN forces?

[Page 1235]

“5. Does your 6 preclude the return to Korean ports of naval vessels sent elsewhere for periodic overhaul?

“6. It is assumed that your proposals are intended to apply during an armistice. Is this correct?

“7. You make no mention of military installations. Do you intend your proposal 6 to permit unlimited construction and rehabilitation of airfields?

“8. What do you mean by the term ‘weapons’? Do you include airplanes under the category of ‘weapons’?

“9. Is it intended to prevent replenishment of ammo used in training?

“10. Do you intend to prevent exchange of weapons of the same type?

“11. What is your definition of military forces? What forces do you include in your term military forces? (Questions on principle seven):

“1. Would the nations forming the supervisory organ to conduct the inspection have representatives on both your side and our side?

“2. How many nations do you have in mind on the supervisory organ, one nation or a group of nations?

“3. What nations do you have in mind?

“4. Is it your intention that both sides invite the same neutral nations or different neutral nations to inspect our respective sides?

“5. Is it your thought to station observation teams from neutral nations at the ports of entry, or to send them there from time to time at the discretion of the armistice commission?

“6. We would like to have a list of the nations whose representatives you would consider acceptable to you.

“7. Is your 7 principle intended to prevent observation of facilities other than ports of entry?

“8. Do you intend the inspection you propose in 7 to be limited solely to the specific items you list in principle 6?

“9. What body or group will make inspections of the demilitarized zone?

“10. In ‘necessary inspection beyond the demilitarized zone’ do you include aerial reconnaissance and photographic reconnaissance? UNC intends to ask the following additional questions today: (Questions on principle 5):

“Principle 5 would hold the armistice commission responsible for ‘the concrete arrangement and the supervision of the implementation of the whole armistice agreement, except for the scope of supervision specified in para 6 of this proposal’.

“(a) What is the exact meaning of the term ‘scope supervision [Page 1236] specified in para 6’? Does it mean supervision to insure only that neither side introduce into Korea during the armistice any military forces, weapons and ammo under any pretext?

“(b) Your principle 7 provides that the neutral nations supervisory organ will report its findings to the armistice commission. This we take to mean that the armistice commission would be responsible for supervising the enforcement of your 6 principle. If this is correct, do you intend that the military armistice commission have the authority to direct the neutral nations organ to make whatever inspections the military armistice commission consider necessary? In other words, will the military armistice commission determine what constitutes ‘necessary inspection, beyond the demilitarized zone’? (Questions on principle 6):

“1. Does your principle 6 preclude visits or inspections of a temporary nature from outside Korea by military personnel from those United Nations whose troops are part of the United Nations Command?

“2. Does your principle 6 preclude the flight to that part of Korea south of the demilitarized zone of those United Nations Command administrative and cargo aircraft regularly operating in Korea but based elsewhere? (Questions on principle 7):

“1. Would the neutral nations supervisory organ be under the auth of, and responsible to, the armistice commission if not, to whom would it be responsible?

“2. Since only representatives of neutral nations can conduct inspections beyond the demilitarized zone, and since their inspections would be limited to the items enumerated in your principle 6, how can the armistice commission obtain enough information to enable it to supervise the carrying out of other terms of the armistice?

“3. How do you propose to insure that the supervisory organ can be ready to function when the armistice is signed? If it is not ready, how will the necessary inspections be made in the interim?

“4. When are the neutral nations to be selected? By whom? Who will issue the requisite invitations to the selected neutral governments?

“5. How are the representatives of the neutral nations to be selected?

“6. When are the ports of entry to be mutually agreed upon—before or after the armistice is signed?

“7. Who determines what inspections are ‘necessary’?

“8. Who determines the extent of inspections?

“9. Reference inspection beyond the demilitarized zone by representatives of neutral nations: Is it your intention that each side will select an equal number of representatives from neutral nations of its own choosing and that these representatives then form teams composed [Page 1237] of equal membership on each side, to be stationed at such ports as Siniuju, Wonsan, Pusan or Inchon? In other words, at any of the ports just mentioned, for example, would there be a team composed of representatives designated by your side and by our side? Or do you intend that neutrals of your choosing only will inspect and report on matters north of the demilitarized zone?