795.00/3–1952
The Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Johnson) to the Ambassador in Korea (Muccio)
Dear John: Thanks very much for your letter of March 191 enclosing the memorandum by Phil Manhard on the problem of Chinese POWs on Koje-do. In view of the developments which will have taken [Page 142] place prior to the receipt of this letter, I am particularly glad that you took the initiative to see that this information got to General Yount and General Dodd. All I can now do is to keep my fingers crossed and hope for the best. I do not feel that it would have been possible for us to have taken any other course and from the standpoint of Korea I know that you will agree.
I also want to thank you for your letter of February 152 to John regarding the presidency. I have been making good use of it in my conversations with the other agency. However, I have been so tied up with the POW armistice problems I have not been able to spend as much time as I wished on the question of the elections.
I also have your letter with regard to the staffing in Korea of the other agency.3 Either John or myself will write you shortly on results of the efforts we have been making to comply with your suggestions.
I know that you must be looking forward to getting out of there next month and we will be looking forward to seeing you. It now seems to me that the armistice negotiations must be largely resolved one way or the other by then.
Sincerely,