795.00/4–352: Telegram
The Joint Chiefs of Staff to the Commander in Chief, Far East (Ridgway)1
operational immediate
JCS 906923. From JCS reur CX 67235.2
- 1.
- In view of relative success of exec sessions of staff ofcrs on agenda item 4, view here is that there would be considerable advantage in proposing that exec sessions of plenary dels be held at time of presentation of package proposal. In event of Communist acceptance of exec sessions for plenary dels, public statement such as that proposed below would of course not be appropriate, but suitably modified version could be used at such time as knowledge of contents of package becomes public. Request your views.
- 2.
- As stated in Para 2D (2) and (5) JCS 903687,3 considered here
that any statements issued in connection with introduction of
package proposal should, while reflecting final and irrevocable
position on each question, also make clear that proposal is fair and
reasonable reconciliation opposing points of view and willingness of
UNC Del to continue to meet
whenever Communists desire. Therefore statement should not be
couched in terms which could be interpreted as an ultimatum that
decreases probabilities of Communist acceptance and, in event of
Communist rejection, raises domestic and international expectations
of prompt decisive mil action. In light of foregoing, consider that
statements to be made at time of introduction of package proposal
while clear and firm, should not assume Communist rejection or be so
worded as to make acceptance thereof difficult for Communists. Also,
at such time as public statement re package proposal is issued by
you consider that, in order to avoid distortions and
misunderstandings, important that substance of proposal be included
in your statement or be
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covered by separate statement. Therefore, suggest that your proposed
statement be amended to read as follows:
“UNC has been negotiating with Communists in Korea for more than 9 months in an endeavor to achieve an armistice. We have known that all the peace-loving nations of world share our sincere desire to obtain a just and honorable cessation of hostilities in order to terminate the terrible toll of suffering, destruction and bloodshed and, by lessening the risk of spreading the conflagration, to advance the cause of world peace.
“After many months of patient negots by UNC, 3 questions still remain to be resolved. These are: Basis of exchange of POWs, restrictions on reconstruction and rehabilitation of airfields, and acceptance of Soviet Union as mbr neutral nations supervisory commission. All 3 issues have been exhaustively explored in discussions with Communists.
“It is apparent that these issues cannot be solved separately. Therefore, in max endeavor to bring about cessation of hostilities by means of an honorable armistice fair to both sides, UNC Del today presented to Communist Del a just and integral solution to the 3 remaining issues.
“The solution provides that UNC is willing to exchange the approximately 70,000 persons who do not violently object to repatriation for the 12,000 UNC personnel which Communists state they are now holding as POWs. UNC continues its willingness to permit folg an armistice any suitable international body of jt Red Cross teams together with observers from both sides to interview persons held by UNC who have indicated they would violently oppose repatriation, and to return promptly to Communists any such persons who it is determined would not so object. In turn UNC agrees that the armistice provisions will not make any reference to reconstruction or rehabilitation of airfields. This solution also provides that UNC will accept Communist nominations of Poland and Czechoslovakia for mbrship on neutral nations supervisory commission and that Communists will accept UNC nominations of Sweden and Switzerland.
“It is of the utmost importance that all nations of the world realize with crystal clearness that this fair and equitable reconciliation of opposing points of view embodies final and absolute positions acceptable to UNC. The proposal made by UNC Del is not subj to substantive change and must be considered as a whole by Communists.
“Responsibility for peace in Korea rests on Communist leaders.”
- 3.
- Second sentence 4th Para of proposed statement is based on assumption that the proposal for post-armistice re-screening of non-repatriates cited in Para 1b ur CX 670674 has been made and rejected by Communists prior to introduction of package proposal. If such proposal has not been made and is being introduced in connection with package proposal, second sentence 4th Para of foregoing draft statement would require appropriate modification.