Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, The Geneva Conference, Volume XVI

396.1 GE/5–2054: Telegram

The United States Delegation to the Embassy in Korea

secret
priority

Geneva, May 20, 1954—3 p.m.

89. Repeated information Department [Secto] 264, Tokyo 76. For Briggs and Dean. Tokyo pass CINCUNC. Department pass Defense.

• Part I—re Seoul’s 99, sent Department 1208, repeated information Tokyo 716.¹

  Note May 19 letter from Prime Minister to Dean proposes simultaneous release statement of principles.

  Hope you can impress on President Rhee and Prime Minister on suitable occasion that such release procedure highly undesirable since would diminish impact on world opinion and would evade US-ROK responsibility coordinate with other 14 delegations at Geneva. Proper procedure following US-ROK agreement on statement would be referral to group of nine at Geneva, which would in turn report to meeting of 16, which would then coordinate presentation statement at plenary conference meeting to assure maximum effect.

• Part II—re Secto 258, sent Seoul 88, repeated information Tokyo 74.²

  At Saturday³ Korean plenary Chou En-lai inscribed to speak first.

Smith

1. Dated May 19, p. 291.
2. Not printed. It said that there would be a plenary session on Korea on Saturday and that the delegation hoped there would be a meeting of the group of nine on Friday. (396.1 GE/5–1954)
3. May 22.