Office of the Historian

Matthews files, lot 53 D 413: Telegram

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

top secret
operational immediate
Washington, June 25, 1953—6:23 p.m.

JCS 942368. From JCS for CINCUNC. This is jt State–Defense msg.

1.
In accordance with para 1 of ur CX 63325,2 you are authorized at time considered appropriate by you to proceed with negots toward conclusion armis. You are further authorized widest latitude in specific terms of armis and handling problem ROK attitude toward armis. You may negotiate such changes in present draft armis agreement as you may consider nec or desirable in light of situation provided you adhere to principle on non-forced repatriation and undertake no obligation to the Commies, express or implied, legal or moral, to use force against ROKs to insure their compliance with armistice terms.
2.
Rhee shld be informed of ur intentions to proceed with conclusion of armis. Method of doing this is left to ur discretion.
3.
In view of broad authority granted you in para 1 above, reply to Commie questions in their letter of 20 June is left to ur discretion.
4.
Re para 7 of CX 63325, you shld make no commitment, agreement or action which would require total UNC withdrawal from Korea. However, this need not prevent you from taking any action which might lead ROK polit and mil leaders to believe that if ROK compliance with armis is not forthcoming UNC is prepared to withdraw from Korea. Tactics in this regard are left entirely to ur judgment.
5.
We will be prepared promptly to authorize you to sign armis agreement if Commies are willing to sign under foregoing conditions. [Page 1272] However, if assurance of ROK compliance with armis is not forthcoming prior to signature, it will not be possible to obtain simultaneous issuance of “Greater Sanctions” statement as previously agreed by sixteen participating govts, and may not be possible at all.
6.
It is expected that foregoing instructions will be coordinated with Robertson and that you will continue to coordinate with Murphy and Briggs as appropriate.3
  1. Sent exclusive for Clark. On an amended draft of this telegram there appears the following handwritten note: “Approved by JCS and submitted to State with the understanding it will be submitted further to Sec Def and President for clearance.” (JCS records, CCS 383.21 Korea (3–19–45)) For a discussion of the initial draft on June 24, see the memorandum of telephone conversation, p. 1264.↩
  2. Supra.↩

  3. Clark replied to the JCS in telegram C 63347 on June 26:

    “1. I am grateful for the auth and responsibility you have given me in JCS 942368. I am flying to Korea tomorrow to coordinate my future actions with Robertson and Briggs and expect to see Rhee with Robertson tomorrow afternoon. Murphy will go with me. For your info I am sending within a few hours the text of my reply to the Commie letr of 20 Jun. This will be strengthened or altered depending upon any reassurances which may be obtained from Rhee tomorrow. In any event I intend to have my reply dlvr by Harrison to the Commies, probably the fol day, with a view to resuming negotiations leading towards the conclusion of an armistice. This is my preliminary thinking. I am convinced that the sooner we sign an armistice, with or without Rhee’s support, the better our psn will be to handle Rhee when we are not worried about a Commie atk. I will keep you advised of my plans based on further dev[elopments].” (JCS files)

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