Foreign Relations of the United States, 1955–1957, Korea, Volume XXIII, Part 2

147. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, May 22, 1956¹

Washington, May 22, 1956

SUBJECT

• Chinese Communist April 9 Note, and NNSC

PARTICIPANTS

• Sir Hubert Graves, Minister, British Embassy
• Mr. Youde, Second Secretary, British Embassy
• Mr. William J. Sebald, Deputy Assistant Secretary, FE
• Mr. David G. Nes, Officer in Charge, Korean Affairs, NA
• Mr. Charles Runyon, L/UNA

Mr. Sebald said that he had asked Sir Hubert to come in in order to advise him of our decision with respect to the differences of views which remained following the last meeting of the Sixteen.² These differences involved an interval between the announcement in the Military Armistice Commission of the United Nations Command’s intention to remove the NNSC teams from south Korea and the implementation of that decision. Mr. Sebald said that reluctantly, but in order to achieve as great a unanimity as possible on the proposed NNSC action, we had agreed to Sir Hubert’s proposal that a “few days” intervene between the announcement and the action. We interpreted a “few days” to mean seven. Also in accord with the desires of the United Kingdom we would make available to the Sixteen the report of the Military Armistice Commission meeting immediately and the time interval would run from the receipt of this report. Mr. Sebald expressed the hope that all of this was satisfactory to the British and suggested that Sir Hubert might talk to the Commonwealth countries prior to the next meeting of the Sixteen and endeavor to obtain their concurrence also.

Sir Hubert confirmed that our proposed course of action was acceptable and said he would do his best to bring along the Commonwealth, but could not, of course, guarantee agreement by all of them.

Mr. Youde asked whether as a matter of mechanics the Military Armistice Commission report would be circulated before or at a meeting of the Sixteen. Mr. Sebald agreed that the report could be distributed to the interested embassies as soon as received in the Department and that then a meeting of the Sixteen could be called three or four days later to discuss it. This would permit the embassies to get in touch with their governments.

Sir Hubert asked whether we expected him to talk to the French also, and Mr. Sebald agreed that he should appropriately limit himself to the Commonwealth countries.

Mr. Sebald then raised the question of our reply to the Chinese Communist April 9 note, and said that we had two ideas and in both had incorporated the Australian suggestions. The reply could consist of our original draft, plus the Australian paragraphs and refer to the Communists and north Koreans as “Communists” or could take the form of a British note replying on behalf of the United Nations Command. Sir Hubert said that his Government was also prepared to support the Australian suggestions or their amalgamation into our draft and that his Embassy had also prepared several alternatives. He then passed copies of the British and Australian drafts.³ The British draft took the form of a short covering note transmitting on behalf of the United Nations Command a memorandum expressing their views.

Mr. Sebald said that at first glance he liked the British form, but that we would naturally desire an opportunity to go over both drafts prior to a meeting of the drafting committee.

It was agreed that an attempt would be made to set up a meeting with the drafting committee at 2:30, May 23,⁴ and that if agreement could be reached on a draft reply a meeting of the Sixteen would be called for Friday, May 25.⁵

Mr. Sebald expressed the hope that agreement could be reached at this meeting of the Sixteen both on an NNSC course of action and the text of a reply to the Communist note.

1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 795.00/5–2256. Secret. Drafted by Nes.
2. The third meeting of the Sixteen to consider a reply to the Chinese note of April 9 took place in the Department on May 16. Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, and France favored a delay of at least a few days between the announcement in the MAC of the intention of the UNC to remove the NNITs from South Korea and their expulsion. Murphy replied that the Department must consult with the military and emphasized that the UNC would be obliged to act immediately in the event of a rapid and serious deterioration of the situation following the MAC announcement. A drafting committee of the United States, United Kingdom, and Thailand was established to draft a reply to the Chinese note. A memorandum of conversation at this meeting, prepared by Brown, was circulated to 22 Embassies in CA–9315, May 23. (Ibid., 795.00/5–2356)
3. Not found attached.
4. The drafting committee met in the Department on May 23 and agreed upon the text of a draft reply to the Chinese note. (Memorandum of conversation by Nes, May 23; Department of State, Central Files, 795.00/5–2356) A copy of this draft, which was ultimately adopted by the Sixteen, is ibid., Seoul Embassy Files: Lot 62 F 69, 321.9– NNSC Vol. II–May, June 1956.
5. See Document 149.