90. Memorandum of a Telephone Conversation Between the Secretary of State and the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Robertson), Washington, October 7, 1955, 5:22 p.m.1
TELEPHONE CALL TO MR. ROBERTSON
[Here follows discussion of unrelated subjects.]
R. wanted to speak re the NNSC. We have a real thing heading up here. Defense has given instructions if nothing is done by the 15th then they are to take these people up to the zone. The Swedes are cooperative with us. They are proposing to move people to the demilitarized zones. The Swedes think there is a good chance of doing it. We can’t allow our military people to step in this way. R. referred to an August memo2 and read from it. The Sec. said he did not think it is correct that he approved this. R. said it is too rigid to be like the Sec. R. said if we can get the Swiss and Swedes to get them into the zone, it will be better than our doing it arbitrarily. The Sec. said he better reverse himself if that memo is right. R. said Gray has gone to Paris. The Sec. will write a letter3 requesting him to not to take such action until we can consult together. R. said Pentagon thinks they have an agreement from State that unless something is [Page 167] done by the 15th, that order goes out. R. will write a letter for the Sec.’s signature. The Swiss and Swedes agree. The Australians are upset about it.
[Here follows discussion of an unrelated subject.]
- Source: Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers, General Telephone Conversations. Prepared by Phyllis D. Bernau.↩
- Document 81.↩
- Deputy Under Secretary Murphy telephoned Gray on October 8, eliminating the need to send a letter. Murphy sent a summary of his conversation with Gray to Robertson in an October 10 memorandum: Gray was reluctant to reconsider the deadline of October 15 as the final date to “wash up” the problem of the NNSC, but he added that the Department of Defense would not insist on anything unreasonable. (Department of State, FE Files: Lot 56 D 679, Korea)↩