Office of the Historian

396.1–PA/4–351: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Embassy in France

top secret
Washington, April 3, 1951—6 p. m.

5207. Eyes only for Jessup and Bohlen. Because of several indications including Lie’s suggestions to Gross (relayed to Paris as Deptel 4831)1 we suspect that Gromyko may be authorized to discuss privately possibilities of a negotiated settlement of Korean conflict.2 In view of delicacy of subject and intervening developments we believe that exploration of Soviet attitude shld begin one level below Gromyko.

Therefore, we suggest that Bohlen3 go on a fishing expedition with Lavrentiev.4 If no objection perceived will he please contrive to meet [Page 291] alone with Lavrentiev and create an opportunity for Lavrentiev to unburden himself of Soviet reactions to Korean situation and, particularly, Soviet thinking on a settlement of the Korean conflict.

These instructions are of course designed only to draw out Soviet position and in no way to commit ourselves to anything beyond already announced aims of UN in Korea.

As this would be an informal approach, simply giving the Russians an opportunity to speak their piece, you shld not inform Davies and Parodi of the projected meeting. After Bohlen has had the conversation and if there is any development of the situation we can then consider their desirability of informing British and French.

Acheson
  1. See footnote 2, p. 248.↩

  2. At the State–JCS meeting on the next day, Mr. Nitze made the following statement:

    “There are indications that the Soviet Union wants to negotiate. Zinchenko—who is one of the Soviet citizens on the U.N. Secretariat—suggested to Lie that Gromyko and Jessup should discuss this problem in Paris. It seems to us that he would not have made this suggestion unless the Soviet Union sincerely desired to negotiate.” (State–JCS Meeting, April 4, 1951; Lot File 64D563, Box 728)

    ↩
  3. Charles E. Bohlen, Minister at the American Embassy in Paris, was a member of the U.S. Delegation headed by Mr. Jessup to the Deputies meetings currently underway in Paris (see vol. iii, Part 1, pp. 1086 ff.).↩
  4. A. I. Lavrentiev, Soviet Deputy Foreign Minister, was a member of the Soviet Delegation headed by Mr. Gromyko to the Deputies meetings.↩