Office of the Historian

Matthews files, lot 53 D 413: Telegram

The Commander in Chief United Nations Command (Clark) to the Joint Chiefs of Staff

top secret
operational immediate
Tokyo, April 22, 1953—12:23 p.m.

C 62022. Ref: A. JCS 935344.1 B. CX 61977.2 C. C 61723.3

1.
Para 6 of ref A. was supd for info and comment. My comments were transmitted in ref B. Both of these refs were transmitted to Gen Harrison for guidance in accordance with ref C. Until further advised, I propose to proceed on the assumption that initial thinking in Wash has not changed, and that ref A constitutes suf auth for me to proceed along the lines indicated in ref B.
2.
I am instrg Harrison to immediately reject a nomination by the Communists of Soviet Russia or any of her satellites as the “neutral state”. It would be helpful if I could be furnd with a list of nations acceptable [Page 923] to the UN which might be nominated by the Communists and to which I could immediately agree.
3.
From ref A I assume that I am authorized to reject immediately any Communist proposal that Korean non-repatriates be transd to the “neutral state”. I strongly recm that I be authorized to adopt as my initial psn an insistence upon the release of the 34700 Korean non-repatriates within Korea, in civ status, to later return to their homes under the provisions of para 59 of the draft Armistice Agreement if they so desire.
4.
In connection with the trans of the Chinese non-repatriates to the “neutral state”, I recm that our initial psn be one of firm opposition and insistence upon the “neutral nation” acptg custody in Korea.
5.
In view of the brief time which remains in which to perfect our negotiatory psn and planning, your decisions are rqstd earliest.
  1. Dated Mar. 31, p. 829.↩
  2. In this telegram, dated Apr. 18, 1953, and sent to the JCS for their information, Clark informed Harrison that he was sending him relevant JCS instructions for the conduct of the resumed delegation meetings at Panmunjom and authorized executive sessions, simultaneous subdelegation or liaison meetings, or a recess of delegation meetings to allow for subdelegation or other meetings. (Matthews files, lot 53 D 413)↩
  3. Dated Apr. 3, p. 857.↩