795.00/12–1251: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Embassy in the United Kingdom
2973. Reurtel 2709 Dec 12, we concur with UK suggestion for amendment last para draft statement with exception of last sentence which we suggest be revised to read as fols:
“Shld aggression be committed again in Korea the consequences wld be so grave that it wld, in all probability, not, be possible to confine hostilities within the frontiers of Korea.”
In our view foregoing revised language constitutes only plain statement of inescapable fact without objectionable tone of ultimatum. To say anything less wld in our opinion lack desired deterrent effect on Chi.
Brit Emb here being informed in foregoing sense but suggest you also discuss with Eden at earliest opportunity. Full text of draft statement amended accordance foregoing also being made available Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, with whom gen discussions this subject initiated Dec 17.1
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Memoranda of the conversations with officials of the embassies mentioned may be found in files 795.00/12–1751 and 12–1851. The text of the revised final paragraph of the draft statement contained in telegram 2807, December 5 (p. 1249), to London now read as follows:
“We declare again our faith in the principles and purposes of the United Nations, our consciousness of our continuing responsibilities in Korea, and our determination in good faith to seek a settlement of the Korean problem. We affirm that if another act of aggression were to challenge again the principles of the United Nations we should again be united and prompt to resist. Should aggression be committed again in Korea the consequences would be so grave that it would, in all probability, not be possible to confine hostilities within the frontiers of Korea.”
On December 19, the text of the revised draft along with background information thereon was sent to the American Embassies in France, The Netherlands, Turkey, Greece, and Belgium with instructions that the statement be taken up with the respective Foreign Ministries for receipt of their views. The Embassy in Brussels was to ask the Belgian Foreign Ministry to take the matter up with Luxembourg since Luxembourg’s forces in Korea were part of the Belgian contingent and Luxembourg was not being approached directly. (Telegram 3589 to Paris, 813 to The Hague, 536 to Ankara, 2970 to Athens, and 901 to Brussels; 795.00/12–1951)
As a precedent for the statement, the Department cited the tripartite declaration made on September 19, 1950 when the United States, the United Kingdom, and France warned that any attack on West Germany or Berlin would be considered an attack on them. For related documentation, see Foreign Relations, 1950, vol. iv, pp. 818 ff.
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