Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, Korea, Volume XV, Part 1

FE files, lot 55 D 128: Telegram

The Commander in Chief, Far East (Clark) to the President¹

top secret
operational immediate

Tokyo, September 27, 1952—2:19 p.m.

C 55891. Ref urmsg 261925Z.²

1. I have recd from the JCS the course of action to be fold at Pan Mun Jom as approved by you. I wish to inform you that the initial statement will be made by the UNC Armistice Delegation at the meeting on 28 Sep 1952,³ and that it will be presented with the utmost firmness and without subsequent debate. The Delegation will further insist that the Communists reply to our just and honorable proposal at a meeting of the Armistice Delegations on or about 8 Oct 1952.

2. If at the later meeting the Communists reject our proposal, the UNC Armistice Delegation will make it unmistakably clear to the Communists that having made a proposal which would result in a fair and just armistice and the Communists having rejected same that we do declare an indefinite recess of the meetings. Concurrent with declaring the indefinite recess of the armistice meetings, the Delegation will inform the Communists that the UNC Delegation is willing to reconvene armistice sessions at any time that the Communists express a willingness to accept our proposal.

3. I wish to assure you that throughout this coming period the mil pressure will not be lessened. Every effort will be made to increase the pressure, principally by air action.

1. This telegram marked “personal from General Clark” was repeated to the JCS and the Secretary of Defense for their information.
2. Supra; a note on the source text indicated that telegrams 261925Z and 262005Z were identical.
3. For a text of the statement, see telegram Z 23092, infra.