396.1 GE/5–154: Telegram
Third Meeting of the Heads of the 16 Allied Delegations, Geneva, May 1, 10:05 a.m.: The United States Delegation to the Department of State1
Secto 60. Repeated information Seoul 25, Tokyo 17, London 104, Paris 161, Moscow 33. Tokyo pass CINCUNC. Department pass Defense. This morning Secretary held chief delegates meeting to discuss suggestion for restricted meeting this afternoon of ROK, US, UK, France our side and USSR, Communist China and North Korea other side. Secretary referred to previous discussion among 16 of restricted meeting and repeated purpose would be try put discussion of Korean unification on more realistic basis. Secretary explained we would not present any position at small meeting but would suggest possible breakdowns into several major phases. Purpose of meeting would be discuss what would be most effective consideration these phases which are as follows: (1) Elections to be under UN auspices; (2) scope and character of elections; (3) disposition foreign troops in Korea; [Page 174] (4) provision to protect Korean independence, including demilitarization of border area. After further comments by Secretary, Pyun and Eden no objection was expressed to holding smaller session and meeting adjourned.
Re scope elections Secretary said he feels strongly, and hoped 16 would agree, any concessions should be made in negotiations with Communists and not in free world offers. If there is any chance serious negotiation Korean unification and independence as he still thinks there is slight possibility, our side should not bargain away everything at once. However if conference is nothing more than propaganda show then we might put our best position forward first. If there is to be serious negotiation we should keep trading points in reserve as long as there is some hope of having the conference produce formula for unified Korea. Secretary said our two main trading points are scope of elections and removal foreign forces. He feels small group is necessary to feel out whether there is any possibility negotiations produce at Geneva genuine results.
Eden agreed on usefulness of smaller meeting for negotiations. Regarding scope of elections, he said UK would not say anything more about it until we see what happens in restricted meeting.
Pyun said he agreed with all of Secretary’s remarks. ROK is prepared for small compromise in return for compromises from Communists. He emphasized it was not safe to show our hand before other side.
- A set of minutes of this meeting (AD Verb Min/3) from which the time of the meeting is taken is in FE files, lot 60 D 330, box 14824. The meeting, at which Dulles presided, adjourned at 10:25 a.m.↩