320/12–652: Telegram
The United States Representative at the United Nations (Austin) to the Department of State
priority
Delga 332. For Hickerson (UNA) from Gross. Re Korea. Re UNMIS No. 107, December 6.1
Pearson message to Commies was not shown to us before its despatch. It strikes me as unfortunate and unwarranted attempt on Pearson’s part to expound the res instead of merely transmitting it as he was requested to do. He has further weighted the balance of the res in favor of repatriation, as distinguished from “release” as, for example, by omitting from para 4 of his message any reference to the policy implicit in para 17 of the res that PW’s who would forcibly resist repatriation will not remain under indefinite detention.
Furthermore, I think, he has in his 5th para reintroduced the ambiguity which gave us trouble in connection with Menon’s last amendment by not making it clear that a “complete and immediate cessation of hostilities” would follow from the signing and coming into effect of the armistice agreement.
I will not protest to Pearson prior to authorization to do so but I recommend I be instructed to bring these matters to Pearson’s attention2 to avoid similar action on his part in the future.
- The reference telegram contained the text of Pearson’s message to the People’s Republic of China and North Korea (320/12–652). For text of Pearson’s message, see Department of State Bulletin, Jan. 12, 1953, pp. 74–75.↩
- In Gadel 92, Dec. 8, 1952, the Department of State agreed that Pearson’s message was “slanted” in an obvious effort to appeal to the People’s Republic of China and North Korea, but argued that since the damage was done, it was undesirable to make an issue of it. The U.S. Representative could at an appropriate occasion informally indicate to Pearson that the United States had some question as to the tone and emphasis of the message (320/12–652).↩