795.00/11–1552
The Secretary of State to the President1
Dear Mr. President: David Bruce has kept you informed of the serious situation which is developing here more or less (but less and less) under the surface on Korea. The Indians with help and encouragement from two of our allies are working on proposals for the prisoner of war issue which seem to us, as they say in the strike settlement lingo, to give us the words and the other side the decision. We have had some rough sessions. I have pointed out that our friends seem to be operating on General Forrest’s idea: “If you can’t lick ‘em, jine ‘em,” while you are going ahead with General Grant to “fight it out on this line if it takes all summer”. There are some jitters here about what may happen if there is no armistice.
Things are rapidly coming to a head and we shall soon need some instructions about our final position which require a sober review of the situation. State and Defense are working well and harmoniously together to get a recommendation for you—perhaps on Sunday or Monday. I hope to go over with Lovett and perhaps Bradley before then.
For the present I have no request to make of you.
Most respectfully,
- This letter was transmitted to the Department of State in telegram Actel 5, from New York. According to a note on the source text, it was seen by Bruce and then sent to the White House at 10:45 a.m.↩