357. AK/5–2551: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the United States Mission at the United Nations
953. Reurtel 1585, May 25, Dept has no objection and wld defer to GOC’s judgment on advisability of GOC making a report to GA at this time. We have some question, however, as to wisdom of supplementing report with draft res along the lines indicated in reftel. We cannot see what such a res wld accomplish.
As we have previously indicated (Deptel 925, May 14), we do not [Page 473] consider a GA res the best vehicle for negotiating peaceful settlement or cease-fire. Efforts to open negotiations leading to termination of hostilities are far more likely to succeed if done discreetly through GOC or available diplomatic channels and later confirmed by GA. Open discussion in GA on such res with inevitable recriminations, propaganda and face-saving, only make achievement cease-fire more difficult. Further, GA res which wld be meaningful almost inevitably involves commitments by UC and UN Members who will pay attention to GA res and none by the Commies, thus putting the latter in a far better negotiating position.
We suggest that GOC cld report its efforts to date and let report speak for itself.