Office of the Historian

JCS records, CCS 383.21 Korea (3–19–45)

Memorandum by the Joint Chiefs of Staff to the Secretary of Defense(Wilson)

secret
Washington, 11 June 1954.

Subject:

  • Abolition of the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission
1.
Reference is made to DA IN 57651 [C 68020], 12 May 1954,1 in which Commander in Chief, United Nations Command, reaffirms his previously expressed view that the Communists have exploited their participation in the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission with serious adverse consequences on the United Nations Command. Chief among a number of considerations, he points out that the Communist members of the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission (the Czechs and Poles) are utilizing the inspection functions of the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission with substantial success for propaganda and intelligence purposes. Further and of critical importance, Commander in Chief, United Nations Command, reports that the Communists have successfully evaded effective Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission inspection of their forces in North Korea.
2.
Meanwhile the United Nations Command has supported the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission in good faith. General Hull reports that matériel replacement restrictions based on paragraph 13 b of the Armistice Agreement, have been imposed by the Commission on his Command, which permit the introduction of replacement combat aircraft into Korea only when such replacements are of the same type, model, series and even sub-numeral designation. Although this interpretation has been supported by the Swiss and Swede Commission members, possibly through lack of technical understanding of combat aviation, the United Nations Command cannot agree. This, General Hull considers, constitutes a curtailment which, if permitted to continue, will eventually depress his air capabilities to the point of impotency. When weighed against the fact of ever increasing air power in North Korea, General Hull states that it is all the more intolerable to permit such a condition to continue.
3.
Should the status quo continue unchanged, Commander in Chief, United Nations Command is convinced that the Pole and Czech members of the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission will continue their practice of using large staffs to compile detailed intelligence data concerning the United Nations Command. Also, he believes that the United Nations Command will become even more harassed by unfounded accusations and Communist propaganda exercises.
4.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff note that Commander in Chief, United Nations Command, strongly favors the abolition of the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission as soon as possible by one of the following courses of action in the order of preference listed below:
a.
By inducing Switzerland and Sweden to withdraw their representatives from the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission.
b.
By United Nations Command action to unilaterally revoke Section C, paragraphs 36 through 50 of the Armistice Agreement, thus dissolving the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission.
c.
As a last resort, renegotiate Section C of the Armistice Agreement at the Geneva Conference in order to reconstitute the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission as a workable supervisory unit.
5.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff have reviewed DA IN 57651 and consider the views expressed by Commander in Chief, United Nations Command therein to be sound. They concur that steps to renegotiate the Armistice Agreement at the Geneva Conference would not be productive, and indeed would merely offer the Communists opportunities to create an additional forum for anti-United Nations Command propaganda and to cause possible divisions between the United States and its Free World Allies. Similarly, the Joint Chiefs of Staff recognize that political considerations at this time may militate against United Nations Command unilateral action to dissolve the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission through renunciation of Section C of the Armistice Agreement except as this step would constitute an implementing measure following withdrawal of Swedish and Swiss representation. In this connection they desire to express agreement with the preference indicated by Commander in Chief, United Nations Command, that abolition of the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission be accomplished, if at all possible, through action by the Governments of Sweden and Switzerland to withdraw their representation from the Commission. Should this course fail, the Joint Chiefs of Staff concur that the action listed in subparagraph 4 b above should be pursued, and that only as a last resort, should the course listed in subparagraph 4 c above be attempted. However, the Joint Chiefs of Staff request they be consulted prior to the firm adoption of either of these two latter courses of action.
6.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff recommend that you request the Secretary of State to approach the Governments of Sweden and Switzerland, and utilizing the views expressed by Commander in Chief, United Nations [Page 1808] Command, induce them to withdraw their representation from the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission as an essential step in the dissolution of this Commission as soon as possible.
For the Joint Chiefs of Staff:
N. F. Twining

Chief of Staff
United States Air Force
  1. Not printed. (JCS files)↩