Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, Korea, Volume XV, Part 1

FE files, lot 55 D 128

Memorandum by the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Allison) to the Secretary of State¹

confidential

[Washington,] July 14, 1952.

Reference is made to the President’s instructions to the Department of Defense for inviting Sweden, Switzerland, India, Pakistan, and Indonesia to send military representatives to observe conditions in United Nations prisoner-of-war camps on Koje Island.²

The matter was immediately discussed with the Embassies of those countries along the lines of the attached memorandum.³

Except for Pakistan, which promptly accepted, the matter has in the interim again been discussed with each of the other four countries with a view of clarifying certain questions they raised and obtaining their favorable responses. The situation may now be summarized as follows:

Pakistan accepted promptly and unconditionally.

India’s slightly equivocal reply can be interpreted only as a refusal to participate.

Indonesia unequivocally rejected participation.

Sweden accepted on the condition that the three Asiatic states invited also participate. In the event the three Asiatic states did not participate Sweden desired to reconsider.

Switzerland considers it particularly important that the three Asiatic states take part in the inquiry if it is to be made and defers its final reply until it is informed of the replies of the three Asiatic states.

Thus, if formal invitations were issued under present circumstances, it appears that only one country, Pakistan, would be likely to accept and even Pakistan might well consider that its acceptance was based upon the assumption that the other four countries would also accept. It is thought that this matter can best be concluded by the Secretary of Defense transmitting to the President a letter, suitable for public release by the White House, setting forth the situation in such general terms as not to put any single country “on the spot”. The letter could also carry the implication that the simple making of the proposal has served a useful purpose and that the suggestion has largely been overtaken by events. A draft letter, copy of which is attached,⁴ along these lines has been informally discussed with the Department of Defense.

It is recommended that:

(1) You approve the attached draft letter from the Secretary of Defense to the President.

(2) At such time as the letter is approved by the Secretary of Defense you, possibly together with Mr. Lovett, discuss the matter with the President, fully explaining the situation and obtaining his views concerning transmission to him by Mr. Lovett of the suggested letter.

1. This memorandum was drafted by Johnson.
2. For information on these instructions, see the editorial note, p. 319.
3. The memorandum, which was attached to the source text, is not printed.
4. The draft letter, which was not attached to the source text, was never sent. Secretary Lovett and the Armed Forces Policy Council discussed the letter and reached the conclusion that it should not be sent to the President, but rather Lovett should discuss the matter orally with Truman. When asked his opinion of this arrangement by Admiral Smith, Johnson agreed and noted that in view of the passage of time and loss of interest in the subject, he hoped that the issue would be closed without any further publicity; memorandum by Johnson to Matthews, Aug. 7, 1952 (FE files, lot 55 D 128).