795.00/11–1850: Telegram
The Chargé in Korea (Drumright) to the Secretary of State
priority
[Received November 18—2:02 p. m.]
398. Contact with Chinese Communist forces in Eighth Army and Tenth Corps areas North Korea continued negligible yesterday. Only four Chinese stragglers were made prisoners, two from Chinese Communist 39th Army and two from Chinese Communist 40th Army. ROK Division reports taking 12 Chinese prisoners yesterday from Chinese Communist 125th Division, but this subject confirmation. Eighth Army Intelligence states Chinese Communist units concentrated on line running from Taechon through Unsan and on to Tokchon at east anchor their line. Chinese Communist appears have reserves deployed in Huichon. (Embtel 392, November 17.)1
Chinese Communist forces continue remain strictly on defensive giving ground invariably in face US units moving northward. CCF resistance against ROK units is generally more determined. Reports available to Eighth Army suggest CCF in Northwest Korea are not receiving reinforcements or replacements; it also appears supplies and equipment are not coming from Manchuria in any substantial quantities. Unless Chinese intervene much more actively than appears to have been case during past two weeks, main conclusion to be drawn is they fighting delaying action and consequently not committed to all-out intervention. Reasons for delaying action, if it indeed be that, are not clear. It could be to test UN determination in face threat of all-out war with Chinese, it could be to gain time to remove valuable [Page 1185] Supong electrical installations, or it could be to give China more time to make necessary preparations, for decisive military intervention, say after freezing of Yalu and Tumen Rivers. We cannot be certain Chinese will not intervene decisively, assumably in accordance with Kremlin desires, but information currently available leads us to believe Chinese intervention will in end fall short of all-out war.
- Not printed.↩