795.00/1–352: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Embassy in France

top secret
niact

3790. For the Ambassador. Re your telephone conversation with Hickerson,1 language proposed by Fr Govt can not be accepted. This statement must be restricted to Korea where action was clearly authorized by UN. The statement can not, by indirection, bring in threats of aggression elsewhere.2 Such matters must be faced by UN if and when they happen. We know that a number of other countries who have already agreed to statement wld completely refuse to accept sentence proposed by Fr Govt, even if we cld accept it, which we can not.

Pls urge on Fr authorities in strongest terms that we agree to statement in its present form. France alone of principal countries with forces in Korea has not agreed and is holding up everything. Final sentence of statement can not now be changed in view of wide measure of agreement of other countries. Moreover, Jt Chiefs of Staff wld we know resist any watering down of this sentence to which they attach fundamental importance from standpoint of security of UN troops.

Armistice negots will probably remain on dead center until we get agreement on this statement and we feel it is indispensable that Fr agree at once.

Acheson
  1. No record of this conversation has been found in Department of State files.
  2. Specifically, to Indochina.