Foreign Relations of the United States, 1950, Korea, Volume VII

795.00/12–550

Memorandum for the Files by the Assistant Secretary of State for United Nations Affairs (Hickerson)

secret

[Washington,] December 5, 1950.

At about 3:15 this afternoon Mr. John Ross of the United States Delegation called and informed me as follows:

“Sir B. N. Rau has just handed to me the following declaration which he said the Asiatic States, with the exception of Israel, are thinking of putting out this evening as a public statement:

‘On behalf of the following Delegations to the United Nations, we consider it our duty at this critical hour earnestly to appeal to the North Korean authorities and the Central Peoples Government of the Peoples Republic of China immediately to declare that it is not their intention that any of their forces should cross to the south of the 38th parallel. Such a declaration will give time for considering what further steps are necessary to resolve the conflict in the Far East and will thus help to avert the catastrophe of another world war.’

Sir B. N. Rau said that the Asiatic States concerned are meeting again at six o’clock this afternoon. They would like very much to find out from us, as well as others immediately concerned (he mentioned the UK in particular), whether from our point of view we saw any objection to the issuance of this resolution by the Asiatic States. He said that an objection to this statement on our part might be the fear that it would imply that UN forces would have no business north of the 38th parallel.”

I called the White House operator immediately and asked to speak either to Mr. Jessup or Mr. Rusk, who are now in the meeting on the Williamsburg. Mr. Rusk came to the telephone and I read this statement to him. He took down textually the proposed public declaration quoted above. I said that, in my opinion, we should state that we have no objection to the issuance of this statement. Mr. Rusk said that he would take this up with the meeting and call me back as soon as possible.

While I was waiting for a reply, Mr. Ross dictated the following further statement:

“General Romulo has just approached me with regard to the proposed Asiatic Declaration. Romulo gave me the following views which he has cabled to Quirino:

1. The Declaration affords the means of extricating UN forces, particularly American, from a desperate situation in Korea with a minimum loss of lives and face.

2. It makes possible establishment of a line which our UN troops can reorganize to man and hold there which many believe they cannot now set up otherwise.

3. It gives us a respite for negotiations.

Romulo said that the Asiatic group which met to consider the draft declaration at noon today at Rau’s apartment all felt that the declaration should be issued as fast as possible. Many thought it should have been issued immediately after this noon meeting. Romulo insisted, and others backed him up, that the declaration should not be issued before we had a chance to comment.”

At 3:50 p. m. this afternoon Mr. Rusk called me from the Williamsburg and said that I was authorized to inform Rau as follows:

“We have no objection to the issuance of this declaration.”

Mr. Rusk asked that I put through a call for Mr. Kenneth Younger over our tie-line to the British Delegation in New York. Mr. Rusk asked whether we had a complete list of the States who would be parties to this and I replied that we do not but that Rau said it included all the Asiatic States with the exception of Israel. He asked if I knew who took the leadership in this. I said that Mr. Ross did not know but that the meeting took place in Rau’s apartment and we assumed that it was Rau who had taken the initiative in this matter. Mr. Rusk asked if Turkey was associated with the declaration and I replied that we did not know.

At 4 p. m. I got Mr. Ross on the telephone and told him to inform Sir Benegal Rau immediately as follows:

“We have no objection to the issuance of this declaration.”

I asked Ross whether he knew whether Turkey was associated with the declaration and he replied that he did not. He said that Romulo said there were fifteen States represented. I asked him if he could discreetly find out the names of all the States and he said he would. I asked him if Egypt was included and he said that he knew that Egypt was.

At 4:05 p. m. I called Mr. Rusk on the Williamsburg and told him that I had instructed Mr. Ross to give the statement recited above to Sir Benegal Rau.

I gave Mr. Rusk the information recited in the preceding paragraphs about the States involved.¹

John D. Hickerson

1. The 13 nations issuing the appeal on December 5 were: Afghanistan, Burma, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Pakistan, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Yemen.