795.00/7–853: Telegram
The Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Robertson) to the Department of State
priority
31. Repeated information priority Tokyo for Ambassador Murphy and General Clark 17, Pusan 18. For the Secretary and Alexis Johnson from Robertson.
Briggs, Young and I met with Rhee this morning at 10:30 for over an hour. I went over his aide-mémoire2 point by point in relation to all the points in my aide-mémoire of July 2.3
I began the meeting by reading the first three paragraphs of Deptel 21 to Seoul,4 the timely arrival of which I greatly appreciate. The remaining paragraphs I gave him in substance. Rhee seemed to welcome these assurances.
I then went over all the points in his aide-mémoire (Embtel 29) accepting or rejecting them according to my instructions. Rhee asked that my oral statements regarding Senate consideration, Japanese security treaty language and movement of Chinese anti-Communist prisoners to the DZ be put in writing to him. Accordingly I have prepared and delivered letter quoted below.
Regarding crucial paragraph B of my aide-mémoire of July 2, Rhee stated that he “never had in mind” to pull out ROK forces from UNC, which he said would be “childish”, and never would want to “wreck ourselves or our friends”. He indicated he wanted present arrangement to continue after armistice, but felt ROK as sovereign country had right to make different arrangement at some later time if there were disagreement with UNC regarding Communist intentions and ways to meet them. I read him our paragraph B and pointed out that language was designed to carry just what he had said. After several unhelpful Pyun [Page 1353] interjections, Rhee indicated he wished to get these matters down on paper and not go on talking.
After re-stating our position, I said I was preparing to leave Friday5 and hoped he and I could reach agreement before then.
Text of my letter of July 8 follows:
“My Dear Mr. President: In the discussion of your aide-mémoire and letter of July 7 at our meeting this morning, we expressed agreement with certain of your suggestions and explained why it was not possible for us to accept others. I am pleased to confirm in this letter the statements made to you, which together with our aide-mémoire of July 2, represent the understandings upon which I hope we can now reach full and immediate agreement.
- 1.
- Senate consideration of the proposed mutual defense treaty. At the personal direction of President Eisenhower, Secretary Dulles yesterday consulted with Senate leaders of both parties, who associated themselves with him in a message which was read to you this morning in its entirety. The point of the message was that the Senate leaders would support ratification of a security treaty and that they were confident of favorable action by the Senate, provided there is no further deterioration of confidence in the willingness of the ROK Government to cooperate in armistice and in our subsequent efforts in political conference to produce solution which will give Korea peace, security, economic rehabilitation and ultimately political unity.
- 2.
- The American Government is prepared to proceed with negotiation of treaty independently of political conference to follow armistice, and President and leaders of Senate will press for prompt ratification when Congress reconvenes unless during this period the attitude of Korean Government has made this impossible. Acting majority leader, Senator Knowland, advises that due to time factor there is no possibility of action by Senate during few remaining weeks of present session.
- 3.
- With respect to your suggestion that treaty incorporate certain language from US-Japanese treaty, Secretary Dulles advises that there should be no difficulty in including in proposed treaty, rough draft of which has been submitted to you, language similar to Article 1 of Japanese treaty, which I read to you this morning.
- 4.
- Disposition of anti-Communist Chinese POWs. I have consulted with General Clark, and he advises that he is confident he can obtain consent within present agreed terms of reference to move anti-Communist Chinese POWs to DZ to be released to NNRC in same way he has previously advised he would undertake to do for anti-Communist Korean POWs. Paragraph a of our aide-mémoire of July 2 is hereby modified accordingly. General Clark will write you a separate letter confirming his undertaking with reference to these Korean and Chinese anti-Communist prisoners.
I again wish to make clear that arrangements involving action by American Government as set forth in numbered paragraphs one to five of my aide-mémoire of July 2 are contingent upon actions of your government as stated in paragraphs a (as modified by this letter) and b of that document.
[Page 1354]I greatly appreciate the courtesy and friendly consideration you have shown me in all of our discussions. I have endeavored to convey to you on behalf of your friends President Eisenhower and Secretary Dulles their deep interest in your problems, their sympathy for your concern about future of your country, and their earnest desire that our two governments continue to work together as friends and allies in the attainment of your objective for a unified, independent Korea, an objective for which your country has already sacrificed so heavily and for which you have striven over the years with such singular devotion.
Very sincerely yours, Walter S. Robertson”.
- Received at 3:03 p.m. on July 8.↩
- For text of Rhee’s aide-mémoire, July 7, see telegram 29, supra.↩
- See footnote 1, supra.↩
- In this telegram, July 7, Smith informed Robertson that at Eisenhower’s personal direction Dulles had met with Senate leaders of both parties. The Senators declared themselves still willing to support ratification of a security treaty and confident of favorable action by the Senate provided there was no further deterioration of their confidence in the willingness of the Korean Government to cooperate in an armistice and the subsequent political conference. (795.00/7–753)↩
- July 10.↩