Lot 55D128: Black Book, Tab 41: Telegram
The Joint Chiefs of Staff to the Commander in Chief, Far East (Ridgway)
operational immediate
JCS 95862. From JCS for CINCUNC eyes only. Personal for Ridgway. JCS have considered your proposal to issue a public statement similar to that proposed in part 2 your G 670–TAC KCG.1 Although we recognize that it has some merit insofar as the Chinese people are concerned, we feel that on an overall basis the issuance of such a statement on the eve of armistice negotiations would be inappropriate. At the maximum, it might well lead to a breakdown of negotiations; at the minimum, it would have undesirable domestic and international political repercussions. We feel that it would be particularly inappropriate for you as the UN Mil Cdr to issue such a statement even though you are not participating directly in the armistice negotiations. At a later date if armistice negotiations should fail, such a statement may well be appropriate. However we feel that if it is then made it should be done on the highest governmental level.
- Supra.↩