795.00/5–2252

Memorandum by the Deputy Under Secretary of State (Matthews) to the Secretary of State

secret

Attached is a copy of a telegraphic instruction from the UK Foreign Office to the UK Embassy in Washington delivered to the Department today just prior to your departure.1 It is possible Mr. Eden will raise the question with you.

Our preliminary reaction is that Mr. Eden’s draft formula contained in the telegram is entirely consistent with our package proposal and we would wish to know how he would intend to develop it. Our only doubt is the emphasis in the first paragraph of the draft upon the applicability of prisoners held by both sides. While we could not object to this in principle we somewhat fear that it might be interpreted by the Communists as an invitation to attempt to reduce the figure of 12,000 UNC prisoners they have thus far agreed to return.

We will inform you by telegram of any differing views we may have as a result of further study of Mr. Eden’s proposal and what we tell the UK Embassy here.

[Here follows a United Kingdom Foreign Office telegram to the British Embassy in Washington, May 22, which contained a formula by Eden for resolution of the deadlock at Panmunjom. The Eden proposal was based on four principles: 1) all prisoners should be released, but none sent to a destination against his will; 2) all prisoners should be offered facilities to return home; 3) an independent body should interview prisoners electing not to return to their homes; and 4) no compulsion should be used to influence prisoners’ decisions.]

  1. During the afternoon on May 22, Acheson left Washington by plane for Bonn for final negotiations and signing of the contractual agreements bringing to an end the Allied occupation of the Federal Republic of Germany. Presumably this memorandum was given to him just before his departure. Acheson was in Bonn until May 26, when the agreements were signed. He then journeyed to Paris to sign on May 27 the treaty establishing the EDC. The next day the Secretary of State left France for Washington. For more information on the contractual agreements, see volume vii, and on the EDC, vol. v, Part 1, pp. 571 ff.