795.00/12–450
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Merchant)
Subject: Message from Swedish Ambassador in Peiping
| Participants: | Mr. Erik Boheman, Swedish Ambassador |
| Mr. Dean Rusk, Asst. Secretary for Far Eastern Affairs | |
| Mr. Livingston T. Merchant, Deputy Asst. Secretary for Far Eastern Affairs | |
| Mr. Gray Bream—BNA |
The Swedish Ambassador called at his request this afternoon to inform Mr. Rusk that the Swedish Ambassador in Peiping had been unable to establish any further contact with the top Chinese Communist officials. The Ambassador said that he had called to report this [Page 1360] fact and to answer his own conscience by asking if there was any further action which we felt they could take at this time. Mr. Rusk thanked him and replied that we saw nothing further to be done for the present. Mr. Rusk then asked him if they knew whether or not Mao Tse-tung was in Peiping. The Ambassador replied that in response to this specific question, the Swedish Ambassador in Peiping had reported that he did not know.
The Ambassador asked what our plans were with respect to a resolution in the General Assembly and Mr. Rusk replied that the six sponsoring powers were seeking today to place the subject on the agenda of the General Assembly but that no final decision had been reached as to the nature of the resolution to be offered. The Ambassador suggested that the resolution vetoed in the Security Council would have very broad support in the General Assembly and, without definite commitment, Mr. Rusk indicated agreement with this thought.1
The Ambassador referred gloomily to the apparent military situation in Korea and suggested that disengagement with a view to gaining a breathing space seemed best course. Mr. Rusk said that a breathing space was alright provided that it was utilized to the full in strengthening ourselves. He also pointed out as indicative of the grave implications of withdrawal from Korea the fact that the United States faces both the Atlantic and the Pacific; that a large segment of the American people might, if they found themselves alone in the Pacific and forced to withdraw, reason that similarly they should withdraw from commitments across the Atlantic. The Ambassador indicated his understanding of the broad situation.
Mr. Rusk thanked the Ambassador for his call and expressed regret that the impending meeting at the White House2 did not allow him the time he would like to continue the conversation.
- On December 4, the Swedish Government informed the United States that it would support referral of the six-power resolution to the General Asssembly, the Norwegian Government agreed to join the other five powers in the actual procedure, and the Government of New Zealand indicated that it would vote for the six-power resolution in the General Assembly (telegram 657 from Stockholm, telegram 565 from Oslo, and telegram 175 from Wellington; all December 4; all 795.00/12–450).↩
- See infra.↩