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

795.00/4–352: Telegram

The Joint Chiefs of Staff to the Commander in Chief Far East (Ridgway)¹

top secret
operational immediate

Washington, April 15, 1952—9:30 a.m.

JCS 906314. From JCS.

1. Have read your C 66864² and note large nbrs of those who would forcibly resist repatriation. Request your views and recommendations as to further procedure including necessity or desirability of further attempts to screen those compounds whose leaders refuse cooperation.³

2. Since large nbrs opposing repatriation may be expected stiffen Commie resistance to any acceptable agreement on POWs, request your views re our negotiating position when screening completed. Suggest consideration be given to proposing agreement on POW issue be reached on all for all exchange based on UNC determination of those willing accept repatriation, those opposing repatriation to be subj to rescreening after armistice enters into effect by any appropriate international neutral body such as but not confined to ICRC, together with observers from each side if desired. Any who as result such rescreening indicated willingness accept repatriation would then be repatriated by UNC.

3. Consider that most careful and coordinated plan required for handling public relations aspects of this problem as soon as knowledge of screening and results thereof become public. Request soonest your views and plans for meeting this.

1. A marginal notation on the source text indicated that this telegram was seen by the Secretary of State.
2. Not printed, but similar information is in telegram C 66832, Apr. 12, p. 143.
3. On Apr. 10, 1952, during Operation Scatter, a riot took place in compound 95, enclosure 9 on Koje-do Island among North Korean prisoners who objected to screening. As a result of the riot and the UNC response, 4 ROK guards and 3 prisoners were killed, 60 POWs, 4 ROK guards, and 1 U.S. officer were wounded. The UNC reports of this incident are in telegrams C 66761 and C 66838, Ridgway to G–3, Apr. 11 and 12, 1952, in file 795.00/4–352.