Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, Korea, Volume XV, Part 1

FE files, lot 55 D 128, tab 108

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

top secret

Tokyo, January 29, 1952—7:09 p.m.

CX 62465. This msg in two parts.

Part 1. Reference Joint Chiefs of Staff 90388, December 1951¹ and Joint Chiefs of Staff 91122, 5 January 1952.²

A. It is probable that during the discussion of agenda item 5 between the United Nations Command Delegation and the Communists the question of the identity of “countries concerned” will arise, and that the Communists may even propose to name such countries in the recommendations. They may propose that, since Communist China and perhaps the Soviet Union are vitally concerned in any Korean settlement, those countries should be represented at the conference table.

B. We have noted State Dept msg 250410Z (Deptel msg to Paris Gadel 393, 8 December 1951)³ and our delegation will attempt to limit its own position to naming only the United Nations and the Republic of Korea. It would seem appropriate for the United Nations Command to acquiesce to designation of the North Korean Government and possibly the Chinese Communist Government as “countries concerned”, but to reject any efforts to designate other countries such as the USSR.

C. It will be very helpful if you would communicate your views, including suggested replies to Communist queries along this line.

D. Guidance on this point is requested.

Part 2.

A. Discussions of agenda item 3 bearing on a political conference have made it clear that great difficulty can be anticipated in arriving at agreement on agenda item 5. In view of the intention of the Communists to specify a time limit for the initiation of political action subsequent to the date the armistice becomes effective, expressed at the time they proposed agenda item 5, and the indications that they will propose a 90 day time limit, our anticipation of this Communist proposal might possibly speed the negotiations by making our position more palatable to them, and convincing them that we intend to press for a final settlement of the Korean problem.

B. In connection with the statement of United Nations position on agenda item 5, contained in paragraph 14 of Joint Chiefs of Staff 90083 of 20 [19] December,⁴ I feel that to substitute some such phrase as “That steps be taken within a period of 90 days” for the presently prescribed phrase “That early steps be taken”, might more quickly bring us closer to agreement.

C. Guidance on this point is requested.

1. Dated Dec. 24, 1951; text in Foreign Relations, 1951, vol. vii, Part 1, p. 1435.
2. Not printed (FE files, lot 55 D 128, tab 14). In it the Joint Chiefs expressed concern that a minor concession on language in connection with the agenda of item 3 of the proposed Armistice Agreement might imply that the United States agreed to a political conference following the armistice in which participation was limited to the United States, North Korea, and the People’s Republic of China.
3. For text, see Foreign Relations, 1951, vol. vii, Part 1, p. 1282.
4. For text, see ibid., p. 1377.