396.1 BE/2–1754: Telegram
No. 496
The Secretary of
State to the Department of
State
niact
Dulte 86. For the Acting Secretary. Re Dultes 75 and 77.1 Following is revision proposed by Soviets today of UK draft.2 This is the text which is being seriously considered overnight and which will be accepted or rejected at final restricted meeting tomorrow morning. Soviets may insist upon deletion of final paragraph. Their commitment to accept other three paragraphs is firm although exact date April 15 subject to confirmation, probably tomorrow.
“The Foreign Ministers of the United States, France, the United Kingdom and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, meeting in Berlin,
Considering that the establishment, by peaceful means, of a united and independent Korea would be an important factor in reducing international tension and in restoring peace in other parts of Asia,
Propose that a conference of representatives of the United States, France, the United Kingdom, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the Chinese People’s Republic, the Republic of Korea, the People’s Democratic Republic of Korea and the other countries, the armed forces of which participated in the hostilities in Korea, and which desire to do so, shall meet in Geneva on April 15 for the purpose of reaching a peaceful settlement of the Korean question,
Agree that the problem of restoring peace in Indochina will also be discussed at the conference, to which representatives of the United States, France, the United Kingdom, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the Chinese People’s Republic and other interested states will be invited.
It is understood that neither the invitation to, nor the holding of, the above-mentioned conference shall be deemed to imply diplomatic recognition in any case where it has not already been accorded.”
- Dulte 75, Document 483. Dulte 77 transmitted the Soviet proposal submitted at the fourth restricted meeting on Feb. 15. For a record of this meeting, see Document 485.↩
- For a record of the fifth restricted session at which this proposal was made, see the U.S. Delegation record, supra.↩