Lot 55D128: Black Book, Tab 142: Telegram
The Commander in Chief, Far East (Ridgway) to the Joint Chiefs of Staff
C–60004. HNC–630. For your info, CINCUNC Adv msg HNC 630. “Further to my HNC 625.1
“Reconvened 1500. Lee opened in the following vein: Now that the POW lists are published the people of the world are anxious for an [Page 1433] armistice to get the POWs back. The proposal includes early release of sick and injured. UNC replied: Do Communists mean all the POWs they have or all they report. Have they reported all POW camps. Are no UN prisoners sequestered outside Korea. Where are the missing soldiers of the ROKA. Lee replied: Perhaps UNC retains POW outside Korea, but KPA never does it. The data submitted covers all POWs ‘held by our side at present.’ UNC says ROKA has 88,000 MIA, UNC cannot ask for POWs on this basis. Communists have 188,572 MIA, but don’t ask for that many POWs. It is Communist policy to educate POWs and release them directly at front. This explains why Communists now hold so few. It does not happen in war that one side takes a prisoner for each taken by the other side. Thus, they should not be released as chattel, one for one, birthplace is not a criterion in determining status of POWs, but rather in what army did they serve. Nationality is not the basis for release. ‘In the list no civilian is mentioned, but we are ready to release the civilians.’ Accordingly, UNC cannot oppose release of 16,243 persons of SK origin because they are from NKPA. UNC implied that because there is a difference in number of POWs held UNC will release part and retain part. This is intolerable. UNC implied that some POWs do not want to be repatriated because of certain political beliefs. We are not discussing political beliefs, but to what army did the POW belong. UNC presented question of increase of military capabilities. That argument is untenable. Firstly, all POWs should be released regardless of race, nationality or rank. Secondly, NKPA opposes releasing some and retaining others because of difference in figures. Release at front must be considered. Thirdly, NKPA opposes retention of retaining some prisoners on grounds of so-called political beliefs. Fourth NKPA opposes UNC stand of retaining 16,000 of POWs on grounds they are SK. Fifthly, NKPA opposes retention of POWs on grounds of no increase in mil forces. UNC inquired if it understood correctly that all POW camps had been reported and that no POWs had been transported out of Korea. Genera] Lee answered: ‘That is all the prison camps we have and accordingly we have none anywhere else.’ UNC again inquired: ‘You said you have not transported any POWs outside Korea, is that correct.’ General Lee: ‘None of the prisoners is being held abroad, outside the country.’ UNC: ‘You made some reference to release of civilians, reporters and those of other occupations. Will you explain further what you mean by that,’ General Lee: ‘That is no more than telling you about our policy toward releasing the POW. For instance, civilians, we are going to release civilians who are not actually prisoners after the signing of the armistice and it is, of course, a fact that there are among them also newspaper [Page 1434] reporters.’ (At this point Colonel Tsai spoke to General Lee with urgency.) Lee continued: ‘That is, at the armistice negotiations, this a question which is not related to the question of releasing the prisoners of war. It is not a question within the scope of the discussions.’ UNC asked how many civilians were involved. General Lee: ‘That is a question not within the scope of this meeting. That is something which can be made clear after the armistice. Accordingly we hope with that explanation to go over to discussion of the main issue.’ UNC replied: ‘We are puzzled as to why you brought the question up when you do not consider it part of the main issue.’ UNC went on in following vein. The difficulty in determining the nbr of POWs the Communists hold arises from conflicting reports. Communist GHQ releases say one thing radio something else, and delegates another thing. The Communist GHQ officially announced that from 25 June to 25 Dec 50, Communists capt 38,500 POW, from 26 Dec to 25 Mar, 26,863. In the first half of the war 65,363 POW. On the basis of official figures for first 9 months alone Communists have failed to account for well over 50,000 POW. These are not MIA figures, but official Communists governmental figures. Where are the missing. Communists say they do not have as many POWs as UNC because they release them at the front, thus implying that they may have released in the neighborhood of 100,000. The fact is they have released 177. UNC still wants to know what happened to 10 of thousands of POWs the Communists officially claimed to have taken. Lee replied in following vein: UNC underestimates number of prisoners released at front. UNC seeks an excuse. Majority POWs were released in front. Some died in air raids. Some of illness. Some deserted. There is also a big difference between figure UNC announced and made propaganda of the number it reported. UNC replied: UNC is not looking for an excuse, but for 10 of thousands of POW who must still be in Communist hands since you have given no explanation of their whereabouts. UNC is trying to find the men which will make the Communist proposal of all-for-all exchange honest, no matter how ridiculous it may be from a military standpoint even accepting what it understood from General Lee’s remarks, that official government figures used for broadcast purposes are not accurate, UNC still seeks information on the missing men. UNC will pursue this question tomorrow. General Lee denied inferring that the announcements of his government were in any way unreliable and attacked unreliable UNC figures on shortage of 44,259 persons. Recessed at 1740 hours to resume at 1100 tomorrow. Comment: Many indications as to positions Communists may be expected to take in subsequent discussion were elicited during this session. These portions are reported fully able. [?] It is [Page 1435] requested that the information given in this dispatch not be released until such time as the Communist positions are more fully developed. Signed Joy.”