Office of the Historian

795.00/7–2253: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Embassy in Korea1

confidential
niact
Washington, July 22, 1953—3:14 p.m.

55. Reference your 522 and Departmental statement being transmitted separate message.3

Immediately inform Rhee there is no objection our part to release by him in consultation with you suitable portions message contained our 504 and we regret you were not previously instructed so to inform him. Purpose of message was to reassure Rhee, his Ministers, and Korean people of active steps we were taking carry out assurances we had given. Statement issued today by Department also has this purpose and we hope Rhee will find it useful in reassuring Korean people this regard. Rhee will note statement covers all points mentioned in message our 50 except paragraph 1. With respect paragraph 1 Rhee will understand that while this is US position, relationship with our allies, General Clark’s position, domestic US public opinion, and necessity of not publicly revealing to Communists all elements our position this regard requires adroit handling in public statements. Therefore we would concur in general statement in consonance with that made by Secretary July 17 broadcast in which he stated “the armistice does not guarantee the future conduct of any government.”

With respect paragraph 2 request that any statement by Rhee omit one billion figure so as not to prejudice Congressional action on program.

Dulles
  1. This telegram, drafted by Johnson, was repeated to Pusan as telegram 63 and to Tokyo for Clark as 202.↩
  2. Supra.↩
  3. The reference was to telegram 54 to Seoul, in which the Department of State enclosed the text of Dulles’ statement of July 22 (795.00/7–2253). For a text of the statement, see Department of State Bulletin, Aug. 3, 1953, p. 141.↩
  4. Dated July 21, p. 1407.↩